The Google-backed car service uses a smartphone app and GPS technology to calculate the fares passengers must pay.
London’s black cab trade says the app breaches laws forbidding minicabs from fitting taximeters in their vehicles.
Lawyers advising Transport for London, which regulates both Taxis and minicabs, believe the app is legal but the mayor’s transport agency wants the court to make a final ruling because some aspects of the law are “unclear”.
Filing of the application follows the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association’s agreement to withdraw summonses brought against individual Uber drivers for breach of the private hire taximeter prohibition.
TfL says both Uber, the LTDA and the Licensed Private Hire Car Association will be entitled to make representations to the court.
Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “We are now a step closer to securing a High Court declaration on the issue of taximeters and hope that London’s taxi and private hire drivers and operators will work with us.
“We welcome developments that make life easier for passengers. As in many other areas of transport and retail services, apps can offer passengers the potential of better and more convenient services, but their use must be legal and on the issue of taximeters the law is unclear.
“A binding High Court declaration will bring clarity on this issue for all parties.”
