One Call taxi group fighting back against Uber and Ola sees large expansion

A Merseyside taxi group has announced a huge expansion in the continued fight back against ride-hailing apps like Uber and Ola.

One Call group's app now has more than 1,000 cars operating across the region, from five local companies in Liverpool and the surrounding areas.

It was originally formed in November 2017 following the soft merger of three private hire businesses - Seaforth Radio Cars, Excel Private Hire and A1 Taxis - but has this month grown to include All The Fives (Newtown) and Central Cars.

Further good news for the group has seen it join the iGo Network - meaning users of the app have access to 55,000 drivers UK-wide.

Gary Williams, of Excel Private Hire, told BusinessLive: “It all means we never need to say ‘no’ to a customer, wherever they might be in Liverpool, and customers don’t need to turn away from local firms and use an app like Uber."

Faced with competition from ride-hailing apps, such as Uber and Ola, the group has been working with technology company Autocab to produce a solution that combines the firms’ local knowledge with a customer experience it says "surpasses anything currently available to taxi customers in Merseyside".

Jason Tomlinson, of A1 Taxis, said: “Passengers now expect to be able to book and pay for a vehicle via one app, know in advance who their driver is and be able to track the vehicle’s approach – that’s all possible with the One Call app.”

Previously each firm would share jobs via Autocab’s booking and dispatch technology, if they were ever facing a driver shortage. But the firm said with this solution, now customers can use just a single app to access taxis from each of the five firms.

Jack Radcliffe, of All the Fives, added: “The partnership worked so well, that after spending nearly two years working together, it became apparent that the firms should formally merge, to create one core brand.”

The group faces stiff competition from ride hailing apps like Uber (Laura Dale/PA Wire)

By joining the iGo Network, One Call said it means customers can use the app in places other apps do not reach.

Although still relatively new, the firm says the iGo Network already includes 55,000 vehicles and has been used by UK customers for more than 1.3 million trips.

Lee Evason of Seaforth Radio Cars, said: “There are vast swathes of the country where Uber just isn’t an option for many passengers. And we believe this is why our app is already proving so popular – you can use it absolutely anywhere in the country and there’ll be a car for you.

“We’ve also noticed there has been an increase in work for our drivers coming back through iGo; now we receive bookings from other taxi operators elsewhere in the country, which allows us to fill quieter periods and make sure our drivers have a steady stream of work.”