Taxi group sues Toronto for $1.7 billion due to hardship caused by Uber, case tossed by judge

A $1.7 billion proposed class-action lawsuit from three different taxi licensees against the City of Toronto was tossed out by a judge this month, according to the CBC.

The three taxi licensees Lawrence Eisenberg, Behrouz Khamza, and Sukhvir Thethi, were suing the city due to the losses they’ve suffered in the wake of Uber in Toronto.

Eisenberg told CBC that at one point his three licences, also called taxi plates, were worth $380,000 and each month they’d bring in $4,500. However, at this point, they’re only worth $10,000 and bring in $200 per month.

While Eisenberg believes its the city’s responsibility to protect taxi licensees from financial instabilities, Justice Paull Perell of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice thinks otherwise. “Neither the City of Toronto Act nor the Toronto Municipal Code require the City to protect the interests of taxicab owners,” said Justice Perell.

Eisenberg and the two other plaintiffs have 30 days to appeal the court’s decision.

Source: CBC