Uber in Birmingham: how to book local taxi operators through the app

Uber has today announced the launch of Local Cab in Birmingham, which gives passengers the option to book trips with a local operator via the Uber app.

Uber, which first launched in Birmingham in 2015 , is now working with locally licensed operators to meet the high level of demand in the city. Passengers will be able to use Local Cab alongside regular-Uber operated options, including UberX, Exec, Comfort and Lux.

Local Cab trips will be passed to operators based around Birmingham to fulfill, and all subsequent customer support will be provided by them.

The arrival of Uber’s Local Cab product in Birmingham follows a series of previous launches in towns and cities across the UK, including in Manchester, Edinburgh and Peterborough.

What are local cab firms in Birmingham, West Brom and beyond saying about the new service?

Andy Cashmore, Director at XL Cars, West Bromwich, said: “We’re making it quicker and easier for people to get around Birmingham, connecting more passengers with taxi drivers via the Uber app.”

Greg Jonathan Caley, Director at ABC Cars, Wolverhampton, 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.”

Mohammed Zaheer, Director at Ace Cars, said: “We look forward to making Local Cab available to the people of Birmingham. 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.”

Shahzad Ali, Director at 247 Cars, Willenhall, said: “Partnering with Uber will provide more transport options to the local community, allowing them to easily book trips via taxi.”

What has Uber said about its new Local Cab service?

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “Birmingham 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 Birmingham more choice, meaning that everyone will benefit. We’re looking forward to launching Local Cab in more UK towns and cities soon."

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