London taxi drivers mull class action suit against Uber

LONDON (Reuters) - London cab drivers are examining the possibility of bringing a class action suit against Uber, their association said on Tuesday, after the mobile app was granted a temporary licence renewal to operate in the British capital.

Sky News reported that the overall possible bill to Uber for the potential lawsuit could be 1.25 billion pounds ($1.64 billion).

The Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) confirmed it was discussing a suit with its lawyers.

"We've been approached by a number of members to help them explore whether there would be grounds for a potential class action on behalf of all taxi drivers against Uber," LTDA General Secretary Steve McNamara said in a statement.

"We are in the very early stages of obtaining legal advice from leading law firm Mishcon de Reya on whether this is a possibility," he added.

Sky News reported that the LTDA was likely to argue that 25,000 black-cab drivers in London had suffered lost earnings from Uber averaging around 10,000 pounds for at least five years.

Uber won a probationary licence to operate in the city last month, after regulator Transport for London (TfL) had refused to renew it last September for failings in its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and to background checks on drivers.

Uber declined to comment on the potential lawsuit.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison)