Uber’s UK sales are soaring after winning a legal battle in the High Court against black cab drivers
It seems court battles aren’t standing in the way of Uber’s growth.
After Uber’s landmark victory over black cab drivers on Friday, there’s more good news for the ride-hailing app: UK sales are up tenfold in the past year.
British turnover soared to £11.3m last year, according to data from Companies House.
The app’s accelerating growth also brings its first UK profits, with pre-tax profits hitting £900,000, after reporting a loss of £337,000 in 2013, reported the Telegraph.
These figures follow on Friday’s High Court ruling that the app isn’t breaking the law. This was the last stage in a drawn-out battle between Uber and rival black cab drivers, who argued that the way Uber calculates fares on smartphones is essentially illegal metering, something which is only allowed to be used in London’s black cabs.
But the High Court took Uber’s side in the case, ruling that the app operates differently from taximeters.
Read more: This is why Black Cabs are protesting
Uber entered the UK market in 2012, and has won Londoners’ hearts. But the growing popularity of the app has hardly been without controversy: Alongside legal battles, black cab drivers have staged several protests against the new rival, criticising the way Transport for London has handled regulation of private hire companies.
Uber’s UK manager Jo Bertram said:
We understand black cab drivers are feeling the pressure from more competition. But the answer is to level the playing field by reducing today’s burdensome black cab regulations.