By Peter HoskinsBusiness reporter1 hour agoImage supply, Getty ImagesUber has agreed to pay A$271.8m ($178.3m; £140m) to settle a lawsuit in Australia, based on a legislation agency for taxi operators and drivers.Maurice Blackburn Attorneys filed the category motion on behalf of over 8,000 taxi and rent automotive homeowners and drivers.The case alleged they misplaced earnings when the the ride-hailing large “aggressively” moved into the nation.”Uber fought tooth and nail at each level alongside the way in which,” the legislation agency stated.”Since 2018, Uber has made vital contributions into numerous state-level taxi compensation schemes, and with at present’s proposed settlement, we put these legacy points firmly in our previous,” Uber stated in an announcement.The corporate didn’t disclose the dimensions of the proposed settlement.”It might be inappropriate to touch upon specifics till the settlement is finalised and the settlement is disclosed to the court docket,” it stated.The category motion was filed towards Uber in 2019 within the Supreme Courtroom of Australia’s Victoria state.”This case succeeded the place so many others have failed. In Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, instances have been introduced towards governments and all of them failed,” Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Michael Donelly stated.”What our group members requested for was not one other set of excuses – however an consequence – and at present we’ve got delivered it for them,” he added.Earlier than any pay out might be made the court docket nonetheless must approve the proposed settlement as being in one of the best pursuits of group members.San Francisco-based Uber, which was based in 2009, operates in round 70 international locations and greater than 10,000 cities globally.Over time, it has confronted protests by taxi drivers in cities all over the world.In December 2023, the corporate received a lawsuit introduced towards it by 2,500 taxi drivers in France.A Paris business court docket dominated that Uber had not dedicated acts of unfair competitors.The taxi drivers had been looking for €455m ($495.4m; £389m).