Thousands of drivers working for ride-hailing and food delivery app Bolt have won a legal claim to be classed as workers in the UK rather than self-employed.

The ruling means drivers could be entitled to holiday pay and the minimum wage, which lawyers said could lead to compensation worth more than £200m.

Bolt said it was reviewing its options, including grounds for appeal.

It pointed out that the findings of the Employment Tribunal were confined to drivers who were not on multiple ride-hailing apps.

About 15,000 current and former Bolt drivers took legal action against the Estonian-headquartered firm at a London employment tribunal.

They argued they were formally workers under British law.

Bolt said it had "always supported" the "choice" of drivers "to remain self-employed independent contractors".

But the tribunal found that "overwhelmingly, the power lies with Bolt".

"There is nothing in the relationship which demands, or even suggests, agency" on the part of the drivers, it said.

The tribunal added that "the supposed contract between the Bolt driver and the passenger is a fiction designed by Bolt – and in particular its lawyers – to defeat the argument that it has an employer/worker relationship with the driver".

The ruling is the latest on the "gig-economy", which is characterised by flexible but unpredictable work patterns.

Leigh Day, the law firm representing the claimants, said the judgment confirmed "gig economy operators cannot continue to falsely classify their workers as independent contractors... to avoid providing the rights those workers are properly entitled to".

It called on Bolt to compensate its clients "without further delay".

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Thirty-year-old Mateusz Sikorski, pleaded guilty to the ‘death by dangerous driving’ of Christopher Boyle, affectionately known as “Mukka”, at a hearing in October.

He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, November 8.

Mr Boyle sadly died at the scene on September 2 on the A4139 between Tenby and Penally, with the head-on crash occurring shortly before 11pm.

The court heard that Sikorski, who was born in Poland, but had grown up in Italy and then worked around Europe as a chef, was visiting Wales to look for work.

He was driving a friend's BMW towards Penally when he collided head-on with Mr Boyle, who was travelling in the opposite direction in his taxi heading back into Tenby.

Mr Boyle was pronounced dead at 11:32 pm having sustained multiple traumatic injuries.

Sikorski had initially told police officers at the scene that he was on the right side of the road, but later admitted differently, with CCTV footage from nearby Kiln Park service station capturing the footage.

The court heard that the defendant had been driving on the wrong side for at least half a mile before the collision occurred.

A victim impact statement read out in court on behalf of Mr Boyle’s sister, Elizabeth Evans stated: “The loss of Chris has been absolutely devastating.

"His tragic death by no fault of his own has left a void in our lives that can never be filled."

In mitigation, James Hartson argued that Sikorski had accepted full responsibility for Boyle’s death and expressed genuine remorse.

Addressing the court, the judge HH Geraint Walters KC, said: “These cases are amongst the most difficult that courts have to deal with. This wasn’t a momentary crossing onto the other carriageway; you were travelling along there for at least half a mile.”

The judge told the defendant: "It's incumbent on all of us no matter what country we're driving in, that we familiarise ourselves with the rules. Either you had forgotten or were ill equipped.”

Craig Harding of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Mateusz Sikorski's manner of driving posed a major risk to other road users and resulted in fatal consequences.

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A new trial is being rolled out which allows residents without driveways to apply for a free cross-pavement channel to charge their electric vehicle from home

More than 60 residents so far have been successful in applying for Lancashire County Council's trial of three different types of cross pavement channels, also known as 'cable trays' which are sited on residential roads across all 12 districts in the borough.

Mike Pickering, 65, from Nelson, has arthritis and has a rechargeable car through the Motability scheme. He says that the convenience and the financial benefits of charging on his own street have given him more freedom to use his car whenever he feels like it.

He said: "I live in a terraced street and this is the first scheme I have been able to use that is really local to me. The benefits include it being eight times cheaper and the convenience of charging it so close, overnight.

"It costs 87p a kilowatt on some of the paid charging points but charging from home is just 7p to 9p per kilowatt. It can really add up – now I can charge the car for around a tenner, whereas it previously cost £70-80.

"Previously, I had to take two buses either way to get home and back to the car whilst it charged at the Nissan garage in Burnley, or I could use much dearer public charging points.

"As I can charge the car more often for less money, this means that I can be less cautious about when I use it. I can go shopping and make trips out when I need to and now have the freedom of being able to pop out more.

"There have only been benefits for me with this free trial, there have been no drawbacks and I would urge anybody eligible to sign up to take part."

The trial is being funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) under the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Pilot Fund.

Cllr Shaun Turner, cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change said: "This is a fantastic scheme which allows eligible residents who have to park on the road to apply for a cross pavement channel installed free to gather their feedback.

"The electric vehicle charging cable runs from their home electricity supply, directly to their vehicle via a channel which is cut into the pavement surface. A metal or plastic case is slotted into the channel to contain the charging cable safely and reduce trip hazards, whilst the vehicle is being charged.

"As Mike Pickering's story shows, it can make a huge difference to users' time, finances and opportunities to access more days out, trips shopping or for medical appointments and access to employment and training opportunities. There are still limited spaces for the trials, so apply now!"

This delivery is part of wider programme for EV charging infrastructure in Lancashire. The strategy for this can be viewed at Installation of electric vehicle charge points throughout Lancashire - Lancashire County Council. For the duration of the pilot, eligible properties can have the cross-pavement channels installed free of charge in order to gather their feedback on the performance of the channels.

Residents are encouraged to contact EV Charging Infrastructure team on EVCharging@lancashire.gov.uk for more information and how to express their interest in participating in the trial.

Please note, the application window will be closed once maximum participant numbers have been reached and there are only a limited number of places left.

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Uber has officially launched its services in Blackpool today, months after taxi drivers staged protests against the company's arrival.

In June, scores of disgruntled taxi drivers blocked Talbot Road to express their concerns about the influx of "unknown" drivers.

Despite the opposition, Blackpool Council granted Uber an operator licence, allowing the company to operate in the town.

An Uber spokesperson said: "We're excited to launch in Blackpool, providing earning opportunities for local drivers, more transport options for passengers, and a boost to the local economy."

Uber has emphasised its commitment to driver rights, stating that all drivers will have access to benefits such as holiday pay, a pensions as well as formal representation through GMB Union.

Uber states they operate according to high safety standards set across the country, abiding by the same regulations as other private hire operators.

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Taxi fares in Basingstoke and Deane could be set to increase as drivers face rising operating costs.

The proposed changes, currently out for public consultation, would see a more standardised fare structure based on a unit of 1/10th of a mile. This replaces the current 1/12th of a mile calculation, which is often confusing for passengers.

Under the new proposal, the flag rate would increase from £4 to £4.20, and the cost for the first mile would rise from £6 to £6.20.

Each mile travelled would see an increase of £2, with the price of ten miles set to rise from £22.20 to £24.20.

While the changes aim to provide a fairer income for drivers, the council is keen to ensure that passengers are not unduly burdened.

The proposals were approved by the Licensing Committee on November 4th, but will now undergo a 14-day public consultation period.

If no objections are raised, the changes will be considered by the cabinet for final approval.

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