Uber, has entered into an agreement to acquire Cheadle-based Autocab.
Autocab makes tech for private hire and taxi operators including booking and dispatch software. It also connects them with trips through its iGo marketplace.
“Autocab has worked successfully with taxi and private hire operators around the world for more than thirty years and Uber has a lot to learn from their experience,” said Jamie Heywood, Regional General Manager, Northern & Eastern Europe, Uber.
“We look forward to working with the Autocab team to help local operators grow and provide drivers with genuine earnings opportunities.”
The move by Uber will increase the ride-hailing company’s market presence from 40 locations in the UK, to almost 170, including Doncaster and Blackburn.
“Autocab has been working with local operators across the world to provide the technology to make them more efficient and open up a marketplace to provide more trips,” added Safa Alkatab, CEO of Autocab.
“Working with Uber we can scale up our ambitions, providing hundreds of thousands of additional trips for our customers, and help cement the place of licensed operators in their local community.”
Following the acquisition, Autocab will remain independent of Uber and have its own board. Uber said that the company would remain “focussed exclusively” on providing technology to the taxi and private hire industry.
