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EU Court Upholds Iconic London Black Cabs' Right to Use Bus Lanes

© AP Photo / Kirsty WigglesworthLondon's iconic Black Cab drivers have won a victory against their budget minicab competitors in the European Court of Justice
London's iconic Black Cab drivers have won a victory against their budget minicab competitors in the European Court of Justice - Sputnik International
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London Black Cab drivers have won a victory against their minicab competitors in the European Court of Justice, allowing them to continue their exclusive use of bus lanes.

MOSCOW, January 14 (Sputnik) — The European Court of Justice offered London Black Cab drivers a bit of relief from the competition Wednesday in a ruling stating that the cabs' right to use the bus lane did not confer drivers a "selective economic advantage," the Associated Press reported.

The Luxembourg-based court shot down private taxi firm Addison Lee's case against Transport for London. Addison Lee argued that allowing the Black Cabs to use bus lanes while denying the same opportunity to budget taxis, known in the UK as minicabs, amounted to unlawful state support for the Black Cabs.

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The European court rejected the claim, stating that the policy did not result in any direct transfer of public money, and noted that the "factual and legal situation" behind the Black Cabs makes them a special case. Black Cabs, a London staple, are the only form of taxi that can be waved down by customers, and are subject to strict standards with regard to vehicle maintenance, fares, driver experience, geographical knowledge, and handicap accessibility, Agence France-Presse has explained.
Addison Lee had appealed to the European Court of Justice after losing its case in Britain's High Court of Justice.

London's Black Cabs, numbering about 25,000, have been feeling the pinch in recent years due to the spread of inexpensive minicabs, and more recently from ride-share applications such as Uber, AFP explained.

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The Black Cab drivers' victory follows on the launch of a campaign by the Licensed Private Hire Car Association aimed at cracking down on Uber's allegedly unlawful and unfair tax advantages. The association of 20,000 plus drivers had sent a letter of complaint to Britain's Revenue & Customs administration last week urging them to look into what it calls Uber's tax "avoidance arrangements".

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