NEXT UP: Uber to launch ‘Local Cab’ pilot in Gloucester and Cheltenham
Ride-hailing firm Uber has today announced that Gloucester and Cheltenham are the latest areas in which it is launching its new product, ‘Local Cab’.
The Local Cab product will enable passengers in both locations to book a trip with a local taxi company via the Uber app.
Anyone opening the Uber app in these areas will see the ‘Local Cab’ option which will connect passengers to taxi firms Andy Cars in Gloucester, and Starline Taxis and A2B Taxis in Cheltenham. Users will have to download the latest version of the app to be able to see the Local Cab product.
According to sources, the Uber app was opened almost 40,000 times per month in Gloucester and Cheltenham alone. To meet the demand, and enable use of the app beyond the 40 towns and cities Uber currently operates in in the UK, Uber are now looking to work with local operators across the country.
On 20 May, Uber first released the ‘Local Cab’ option in Plymouth connecting passengers to the taxi firm Need-A-Cab. Since then Local Cab has launched in a number of cities and towns including Oxford and Exeter.
Uber’s app will integrate with Autocab’s iGo network, which the firm says has the potential to connect passengers with 80,000 private hire and taxi drivers in the UK. The Oxford pilot is the second time the two technology companies have worked together since Uber reached an agreement to acquire Autocab in August 2020.
Les Hawkins at Andy Cars and A2B Taxis said: “We’re delighted to be one of the first operators in the UK to pilot Local Cab. This will give the people of Gloucester and Cheltenham another way to book with us.”
Leon Jackson at Starline Taxis said: “Anyone visiting either Cheltenham or Gloucester, that already uses the Uber app, will now find it easy to book a ride with a local operator. With the boost in passengers, we will also be looking to welcome new drivers to the company.”
Ash Kebriti, UK General Manager, Uber, said: “Every month, we see thousands of people in towns and cities across the UK where we currently don’t operate open the Uber app and try to request a trip. Launching this pilot of Local Cab in Gloucester and Cheltenham is an exciting first step in connecting these riders with local operators so that eventually the Uber app can be used anywhere in the country.”
