Taxi, limo drivers launch $400M class-action lawsuit against UberX, UberXL

thestar.com
July 23, 2015
By Alyshah Hasham

A $400 million class-action lawsuit has been launched on behalf of Ontario taxi and limo drivers against UberX and UberXL.

In addition to damages, the lawsuit will also seek an injunction to prohibit UberX from continuing to operate in the province of Ontario, according to a press release from law firm Sutts, Strosberg LLP.

“The Plaintiff alleges that UberX and UberXL has created an enormous marketplace for illegal transportation in Toronto," said lawyer Jay Strosberg in the press release.

The statement of claim alleges that UberX violates the province’s Highway Traffic Act by having unlicensed drivers picking up passengers and transporting them for compensation. This has diverted “millions of dollars of revenue away from properly licenced taxicab, limousine owners and drivers in Ontario.”

The lawsuit has not been certified and the allegations have not been proven in court.

The announcement comes as the controversial UberX service, which involves private drivers using their own cars to pick up and drop off passengers, launches in Hamilton, London, Guelph and the Waterloo Region.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More to come.