Uber will let people in Greater Manchester book taxis with local cab firms as part of a new app.
The ride-hailing service says it has partnered with several locally licensed operations to launch its 'Local Cab' service in the region today (Tuesday, March 15).
Uber, which launched in Manchester in 2014, says it will help to 'meet the high level of demand' for taxis. Passengers can now book trips with Street Cars, Lynx Taxis and Tameside Taxis, which are the three firms involved in the partnership.
READ MORE: Fourth arrest made following fatal stabbing of 18-year-old in Bury town centre
The Local Cab option will appear when booking a ride alongside other choices including UberX, Exec, Comfort and Lux, Uber said.
Riders who choose the Local Cab option will not get an 'Uber' as such as the driver and vehicle will be from the respective companies in the programme.
The local operator sets the cost and cashless payment is made via the app as usual, Uber said. However, Uber takes what it describes as a 'small service fee' on each trip.
The arrival of the Local Cab app follows a series of previous launches in towns and cities across the UK, including Edinburgh and Peterborough.
Naveed Arshad, director at Street Cars and Scott’s Cars, said: “We look forward to making Local Cab available to the people of Manchester. 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.”
Ehsan Shakeri, managing director at Lynx Taxis, said: “We’re making it quicker and easier for people to get around Manchester, connecting more passengers with taxi drivers via the Uber app.”
Jason Deakin, director at Tameside Taxis, said: “The partnership with Uber is also enabling us to provide further job opportunities to our drivers and we hope it will attract new recruits to join our fleet.”
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “Manchester will be among the first cities in England where riders can access both UberX and Local Cab in the same app.
"This will help maximise earnings opportunities for drivers while giving passengers in Manchester more choice, meaning that everyone will benefit. We’re looking forward to launching Local Cab in more UK towns and cities soon."
READ MORE: Devastated bride-to-be finds out her dream wedding is cancelled after logging onto Facebook
