Taxi firm aggregator Cabs.com has launched a new online platform offering fares from 8,000 firms boasting 150,000 cabs across the UK. This is significantly more than Uber’s UK network of 50,000 drivers.
And Cabs.com has the potential to get even larger, as the market has 15,000 cab firms and 250,000 cars.
Consumers will be able to access the entire minicab market via a single app, with Cabs.com promising a better geographic spread. Current digital hailing services tend to be city-centric, meaning Cabs.com should reach the parts of the country Uber cannot reach.
From a safety and security perspective, Cabs.com customers will benefit from local authority security checks required for all cab drivers. Many cab drivers have also undergone disability awareness training and child sexual abuse/awareness training.
The Cabs.com passenger app provides live mapping of the cab, driver and car details, a two-click booking system, cash and card payment options, and the ability to pre-book future journeys.
‘A huge opportunity’
William Berry, CEO and founder of Cabs.com, said: “This is a huge opportunity to bring together all the independent cab companies, and their drivers into one advanced digital hailing service, with great benefits to passengers across the UK in terms of convenience, availability, service and cost.
“As we grow in the UK we intend to extend the proposition to the US and other English-speaking countries.”
In March 2019, cab firm pages received around 150,000 page views on Cabs.com, generated by word of mouth and through search engines. Berry says that social media will play a big part in the company’s future growth.
“Cabs.com already has 50 percent of the UK cab companies (8,051) listed on our website. We aim to convert 20 percent of those to our subscription services in the first year.
“We believe, as in the early digital hailing era, word of mouth and social media will play a significant role in accelerating our conversion rate as consumers and cab firms quickly understand the benefits to be had by belonging to such a strong, pioneering, needed platform.
“We currently have similar listings in the US on our website and foresee extending our services there as we achieve critical mass in the UK.”
Reaching the regions
It’ll be interesting to watch Cabs.com’s growth in rural areas – regions where Uber has struggled. For example, Cabs.com boasts one firm in Perth and Kinross, six on the Isle of Wight, 12 in Herefordshire, six in East Lothian and 12 in Powys.
In traditional Uber heartlands, Cabs.com has a stronger presence – there are 1,661 firms in Greater London.