Uber and California Cab Cos Team up to Offer Taxi Drivers More Business

Uber wants to give southern California taxi drivers a chance to get trip referrals.

The ride-hailing firm announced Tuesday (Sept. 26) a collaboration with Los Angeles Yellow Cab and its five partner taxi fleets in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

Los Angeles Yellow Cab General Manager William Rouse said in a news release provided to PYMNTS that the partnership is “a clear win-win for drivers and riders.”

“We anticipate that this partnership will have a positive impact for our driver-owners as the pandemic recovery continues,” Rouse added in the release. “No longer will drivers have to worry about finding a fare during off-peak times or getting a street hail back into the city when in the outer suburbs.”

The collaboration gives cab drivers access to Uber trip referrals, offering them more earnings opportunities, according to the release. Cities, meanwhile, will have fewer empty miles, and riders will enjoy quicker pickups.

The company said in the release that onboarding for taxicab drivers in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties will begin this week, and drivers will be eligible to receive Uber trip referrals once they are fully onboarded.

“We’re encouraged by the support from local regulators in California and look forward to continuing to work closely with our taxi partners to bring the benefits of this program to more taxi drivers and cities throughout the country,” Camiel Irving, vice president and general manager of U.S. and Canada mobility operations at Uber, said in the release.

The partnership follows reports from earlier this year that a growing share of European taxi drivers’ business was coming from Uber.

The company had been at odds with Europe’s taxi sector, although that changed following new rules requiring Uber drivers to have a commercial license. The new guidelines led taxi drivers to sign up for the app and add scheduled rides to their curbside pickup operations.

Meanwhile, Uber said last month that it is seeing cross-platform activity continuing to gain ground as customers engage more often with the company’s range of services.

These members, the company said during an earnings call, are driving a significant percentage of bookings — and could represent more than 50% of bookings in the years to come.