[New] Uber accelerates Local Car roll-out, with DG, Royal Cars and Take Me among new recruits

Mark Bursa

Uber is accelerating the roll-out of its Local Cab service, which offers Uber jobs to private hire operators that use the Autocab iGo platform.

Among big names coming on stream in the past few weeks is Nottingham’s DG Cars, Professional Driver’s 2021 Private Hire operator of the year, along with its subsidiary Arrow Cars, which has signed up to take Local Cab jobs in Leeds.

Toby Metcalf, Marketing Manager at DG Cars, said: “We feel that now, more than ever, a product like Local Cab is needed – with demand for taxis continuing to rise and passengers in need of more options.”

Most of the major players in Nottingham are now on the platform, with DG Cars joining Ideal Cars, Central Cars, Southside Cars and Nottingham Cars. Arrow Cars is the second Local Cab operator in Leeds, following SJK Private Hire.

Local Cab is also expanding in Derby with an additional operator, Western Cars, joining PJ Cars, while in Leicester A&B Cabs is the latest operator to be able to sign up, alongside Fosse Taxis. Elswewhere in Leicestershire, Coalville Yellow Cabs and Birstall Cabs have joined four other taxi firms in the county to be part of the Local Cab network.

In Stoke, Take Me Group’s Intercity Private Hire has become the third Local Cab operator in the town alongside Autocab Private Hire and Lucky Seven Private Hire, both of which joined in the Summer.

Further Midlands expansion has arrived in Sutton Coldfield, where Hotline Cars has joined Local Cab, and in Milton Keynes and Buckingham, where 001 Royal Cabs has signed up.

Meanwhile in Banbury, Royal Cars, which already takes on Local Cab work in its main base of Oxford, has signed up its local subsidiary, formerly known as Cherwell Cars but now carrying the Royal Cars brand. It is the second Local Cab operator in Banbury, joining Carriage Company.

Manchester remains the most active Local Cab market, where Middleton Cars has signed up, following on from previous launches across the city with a number of operators such as Intime Taxis, Street Cars, Cresta Cars and Kingsway Cars.

Further South, Gloucester and Cheltenham now has a third Local Cab provider, with Five Star Taxis joining Starline Taxis and A2B Taxis.

And in Surrey, two operators have signed up. Reigate-based The RoadRunners Group and Guildford’s Ryde Taxis are both now on the network.

Slough-based Cabpro is now handling Local Cab jobs across Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead, while in High Wycombe two companies, Tiger Taxis and Budget Cars, have joined.

Finally, Local Car is also growing in Scotland, with Domino Private Hire now taking on Uber jobs in in Rutherglen and Cambuslang. This follows previous launches with Kalvin Kabs and Hastie Cars in nearby Hamilton and East Kilbride during October 2021.

Uber UK general manager Andrew Brem (pictured) said: “The success of Local Cab in towns and cities across the country has been great to see. Delivering the best transport options to passengers remains our top priority, as well as boosting local economies and creating new earning opportunities for drivers.”