Uber is attempting to thaw its icy relationship with the ever-iconic black cabs of London in an attempt to add a new taxi feature to its app. Cabbies have been invited to sign up to be listed on the app, although the service won’t roll out until early 2024, and Uber has reported drivers are already showing interest in the app.
This comes after a similar attempt was made by the ride-hailing service in 2016 which saw black cabs listed on the app. This was discontinued the following year after the service saw low numbers of active drivers — this time around, however, Uber has declared its confidence in bringing in more drivers to the app.
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Black cab drivers who sign up to Uber will be offered their first six months without commission for bookings on the app, which may cause a drive in sign-ups.
Uber has proved successful with its taxi fleet partnerships elsewhere in Los Angeles, New York City, Paris and Rome and has reported that over 10% of its trips are now completed by taxi drivers in Europe and the Middle East. However, this may not be the case for London.
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), representing more than 10,000 members, has rebutted Uber’s announcement of the partnership with black cabbies. General Secretary of the LTDA Steve McNamara has said that the association are not interested in “sullying the name of London’s iconic, world-renowned black cab trade by aligning it with Uber, its poor safety record and everything else that comes with it.”
McNamara has also stated he was not aware of any interest in the app from the LTDA’s members, commenting “[We] don’t believe our members will even consider joining the app, given its well-documented, poor record on everything from passenger safety to workers’ rights in London.”
Missing out on the partnership wouldn’t be a huge loss for black cabs considering they are already listed on other apps such as Gett, Taxiapp, FreeNow and ComCab. The move from Uber follows its other attempts to tap into other markets, train and rail tickets can now be booked on Uber along with Eurostar and even flight tickets.
Uber’s UK general manager, Andrew Brem, said: “Black cabs are an iconic part of the capital, loved by Londoners and visitors alike, and we are proud to work side by side. Partnership is win-win-win: helping London cab drivers earn more, boosting travel options for passengers, and making London’s transport network more efficient.”