END OF THE ROAD: Uber and Autocab Local Cab service offering set to end in the UK
Uber has announced that its Local Cab service offering, through which private hire operators received jobs from the Uber app, will be terminated in the UK on 11 December.
This decision marks an end to a partnership between Uber and Autocab's iGo network, which aimed to connect passengers with a vast network private hire and taxi drivers across the country. Local Cab had been introduced in over 65 towns and cities in the UK since its pilot in May 2021.
Autocab has revealed that despite the termination of the Local Cab service in the UK, it will be launching the product internationally, thanks to a more favourable market fit abroad. The company is expected to announce initial partnerships for Local Cab's international expansion in the New Year, signalling a fresh chapter for the service.
In an email addressed to operators, Autocab CEO Safa Alkateb assured them that the termination of the Local Cab service in the UK will not impact the service they receive in the future.
An Uber spokesperson added: “Following a review we have decided to discontinue the Local Cab service in the UK, meaning that this product will no longer be available for Uber users. Autocab’s core business is unaffected and continues to grow.”
The termination of Local Cab in the UK brings an end to a unique, and at first controversial, collaboration between Uber and Autocab that aimed to improve the accessibility and availability of private hire and taxi services for Uber users.
