WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A group of technology

companies that make apps for taxi-hailing services is facing a

new lawsuit for allegedly colluding with Uber ( UBER ) to keep

passenger prices artificially high around the United States.

The proposed class action, filed on Monday in the federal court

in Manhattan, accused Curb Mobility, Flywheel Technologies,

Creative Mobile Technologies and its subsidiary ARRO of

violating antitrust law through a business partnership with Uber ( UBER )

that integrated their technology into its app.

The lawsuit alleged the arrangements have led to "uniform or

near-uniform pricing" between Uber ( UBER ) rides and taxis booked using

Uber ( UBER ) or the defendants' apps.

The plaintiff, a resident of New York, asked the court to grant

class action status for potentially millions of ride-hail

customers in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle

and Washington, D.C.

A Curb spokesperson in a statement said the company does not

comment on pending litigation.

Creative Mobile and Flywheel did not immediately respond to

requests for comment. Uber ( UBER ), which is not a defendant, did not

immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kyle Roche, an attorney for the plaintiff, in a statement

said the lawsuit "aims to restore a fair marketplace and hold

the companies accountable."

Uber ( UBER ) has lured away rides from traditional taxis since its

launch in 2009. Regulatory changes later allowed taxis to match

Uber's ( UBER ) pricing transparency and flexibility.

But taxi-hailing apps stopped competing with Uber ( UBER ) and instead in

2022 merged services with the company, the lawsuit alleged.

"By doing so, the defendants traded their growing competitive

momentum for access to Uber's ( UBER ) scale and revenue streams,"

according to the lawsuit. The integration allowed Uber ( UBER ) to

"suppress competition that would otherwise have constrained

prices and benefited consumers," the complaint said.

The complaint contends the alleged ride-hailing cartel has

raised fares, reduced consumer choice and entrenched Uber's ( UBER )

dominance.

The lawsuit asks a judge to award unspecified monetary damages

and to issue a court order requiring greater competition.

The case is Brendan Kretschmer v. Curb Mobility LLC et al, U.S.

District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

1:25-cv-09758.

For the plaintiff: Kyle Roche and Edward Normand of Freedman

Normand Friedland, and Don Bivens of Don Bivens PLLC

For defendants: No appearances yet