POLL: Should Uber taxis be legal?

The minicab-hailing app Uber is lawful, a High Court judge has ruled. But is this the right decision?

Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London, ruled Uber apps did not constitute taximeters and there was nothing to prevent minicab drivers and their customers enjoying "any improvement which technology might bring in the speed and accuracy of their fare calculations".

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Jo Bertram, regional general manager for Uber in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, said: "This is great news for Londoners and a victory for common sense."

But the groundbreaking ruling foreshadows other battles looming in London over the Uber phenomenon, which has caused controversy and triggered legal battles in many of the world's major cities.

Uber is opposing separate proposals to tighten private hire regulation in the capital following Transport for London's launch of a consultation on a series of measures that would affect minicab drivers.

Government figures show the number of minicabs in the capital has risen by over a quarter (26%) in the past two years, to 62,800.