Thousands of Bolt drivers have won their legal claim to be classed as employees and could be in line for compensation of more than £200m.

An employment tribunal ruled that 15,000 Bolt drivers were not self-employed contractors who ran their own businesses.

Lawyers from Leigh Day, representing the drivers, believe the compensation owed to their clients could be worth more than £200m.

The ruling follows a three-week hearing at the tribunal in September, and means the drivers are entitled to workers’ rights and protection under employment law.

Leigh Day said it affected all the 100,000-plus drivers who take on work through the Bolt private hire hailing app in the UK. The law firm had said the drivers could argue they should be classed as workers, with all the employment rights and protection that classification included.

Charlotte Pettman, a Leigh Day employment team solicitor, said: “We are very pleased that the employment tribunal has found in favour of our Bolt driver clients.

“This judgment confirms that gig economy operators cannot continue to falsely classify their workers as independent contractors running their own business to avoid providing the rights those workers are properly entitled to.

“We call on Bolt to compensate our clients without further delay.”

A Bolt spokesperson said: “Drivers are at the heart of what we do, and we have always supported the overwhelming majority’s choice to remain self-employed independent contractors, protecting their flexibility, personal control and earning potential.

“We will continue to engage with drivers as we carefully review our options, including grounds for appeal, ensuring that we are helping drivers to succeed as entrepreneurs and grow on their own terms.”

The legal claim from Bolt drivers came after the UK supreme court determined in 2021 that Uber drivers were not self-employed but were workers entitled to rights including holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and breaks.