Uber extends Local Cab service as national roll-out gathers pace

Uber has announced a tranche of new UK towns into which it is launching its Local Cab service, which gives local operators on Autocab’s iGo platform the opportunity to take on Uber jobs.

Among new Local Cab partners is John Coombes, whose Kirkham Mac’s Taxis company has taken on Uber work in Kirkham and Lytham St Annes. Coombes admits he was sceptical at first, when Uber bought Autocab. “I wasn’t happy at first and wrote to Safa Alkateb at Autocab, saying I was thinking of switching dispatch systems.”

But the effects of the pandemic on his other business, Fylde Executive Cars, and the ensuing dialog with Autocab over the Uber deal, persuaded him that the switch is worthwhile, especially given the proximity to Blackpool, which attracts thousands of out-of-town visitors in the summer. “We’re effectively the only iGo operator on the Fylde Coast,” Coombes said.

Uber’s app will now also locate a cab for tourists visiting the Lake District via local operator Lakeside Taxis, which has operations in Windermere and Kendal.

And Local Cab is now live in Northampton, Aylesbury and and Ipswich, while the first Scottish areas have also opened up. Stranraer, Dumfries are the first Local Cab launches north of the border, quickly followed by Hamilton and East Kilbride.

The launches follow on from a successful pilot of the Local Cab product earlier this year in a number of UK locations including Plymouth, Bedford, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Oxford.

Passengers in Aylesbury can now book a trip with a local operator via the Uber app, which connects them with local taxi firm Jet Taxis. In Northampton, the Local Cab partner is local taxi firm Amber Cars and in Ipswich, Hawk Express is the partner.

In the first two Scottish locations, McLeans Taxis has been named as the Uber partner. Company boss William McLean said the Uber app had been opened on average 3,000 times a month in Dumfries and Stranraer.

He said: “This provides another way for customers to book with us. For anyone visiting Stranraer that already uses the Uber app, Local Cab will make it easy for them to book a ride with a local operator.” In Hamilton and East Kilbride, Local Cab connects customers with cars from two local taxi firms,Hastie Cars and Kelvin Kabs.

Northampton represents a strong opportunity with Uber claiming an average of 34,000 app openings in the town, while in Aylesbury there were 12,500 fruitless clicks on the app and 10,000 in Ipswich, Uber claims.

Uber UK General Manager Ash Kebriti said: “The Local Cab pilot has proved to be a success for local operators, riders and local economies. Local operators have seen increased demand for trips and are now actively recruiting new drivers, which is having a positive impact on the local economy. We are now excited to roll the product out to more towns and cities across the UK.”

Uber has indicated it will no longer open its own operations in UK towns and cities – it already has direct services in 40 locations – and all future growth will be via the Local Cab service.

Uber’s app integrates with Autocab’s iGo network, which has the potential to connect passengers with 80,000 private hire and taxi drivers in the UK. The Local Cab system has been developed since Uber acquired Autocab in August 2020.