The ruling

Mr Justice Birt of the High Court in London dismissed a claim brought by more than 13,000 black cab drivers against Uber on Monday, 19 October 2026. The judge found the cases were time-barred, meaning they were brought after the six-year limit for such claims had expired. In a written judgment he did not examine whether the allegations were true, so the court made no finding on whether Uber misled Transport for London. The Financial Times put the number of drivers at 13,300, while other reports said more than 13,000. Because the decision rests on timing, the allegations will be examined only if the claimants win an appeal.

What the drivers alleged

The claimants said Uber gave Transport for London misleading information when it obtained a private hire operator licence in 2012, and that it then used that licence to take trade from traditional black cabs. The claims covered the period from mid-2012 to March 2018. The drivers were represented by the law firm Mishcon de Reya and sought up to £25,000 each in damages, according to the Financial Times. The same report said software called "Greyball", which showed regulators dummy app screens with phantom vehicles, and a so-called "kill switch" named "Ripley" were among the tactics alleged. Uber denied the allegations entirely.

The value of the claims was reported differently. The BBC described the two lawsuits as worth about £340m, with the drivers seeking nearly £200m and the claim for the former private hire firms Kabbie and Iride seeking about £140m. The Next Web gave £199mn and £141mn for the two claims, while Bloomberg cited £250 million ($333 million) for the drivers' suit. Uber has called the old claims completely unfounded.

Black cab drivers (about 13,000)199

Kabbie and Iride141

Black cab drivers (about 13,000)

199 £m

Kabbie and Iride

141 £m

Data from the article text

Why the judge found the claims too late

Under English law, most such claims must be brought within six years of the claimants discovering they had a worthwhile claim, and Uber argued that each claim fell outside that window. The drivers countered that the clock should start later, arguing they could not reasonably have uncovered the alleged deception before a June 2018 court hearing over Uber's licence, which followed TfL's 2017 decision to refuse renewal. The judge rejected that argument. He pointed to a TfL letter from September 2017 that declined to renew Uber's licence and described the app as misleading, a letter the London Taxi Drivers Association published in December 2017. He said the claimants could have taken steps within weeks of that publication, and that there was enough information generally known in 2017 to approach lawyers.

The judge also said black cab drivers were generally well-informed:

“Black cab drivers generally were well-informed, through a number of sources, including their trade associations”

He added that a prevailing view had existed for years before 2018 that Uber was operating unlawfully and must have misled TfL. The judge did not rule on whether Uber misled TfL. In October 2025 the court had ordered a separate trial on the timing question alone, using 20 sample claimants, ten chosen by each side, and that hearing took place in late June 2026.

Reactions and next steps

Uber said it was pleased the court had dismissed every claim at the earliest opportunity, and that the ruling put the old matters behind it. RGL Management, which managed the litigation for the claimants, said it was disappointed and was weighing its options with its legal team. The Financial Times also reported that litigation funding contributed to the delay, after the drivers' initial backer, Harbour, withdrew its support in 2019. Uber faces a separate case in the week of 26 October 2026, when it contests a tax dispute with HM Revenue and Customs worth more than £1bn. Unless the claimants succeed on appeal, the London proceedings end here.