Uber Drivers Say London Mayor's New Levy Is Discriminatory
- Union challenges city’s demand that drivers pay congestion fee
- Lawsuit is latest to expose rivalry with traditional taxis
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to charge Uber Technologies Inc. drivers to operate in the city center amounts to racial discrimination and puts some out of business, lawyers for the drivers said Wednesday in court, in the latest stage of a long-running battle between those working for the ride-hailing firm and traditional cabbies.
A union representing Uber drivers is suing the city’s mayor, saying it isn’t fair that they must pay a daily charge of 11.50 pounds ($14.34) when traditional black-cab drivers don’t have to. While 94% of Uber drivers come from minority backgrounds, 88% of black-cab drivers are white, the union said, meaning the levy “impacts disproportionately” on minorities.