Uber is stepping up its assault on traditional cab services by allowing customers in London to book in advance for the first time.
The taxi-hailing app launched the scheduled rides feature on Thursday, using the capital as a testing ground before rolling the service out to other cities in the UK and Europe.
Until now, Uber customers could only request a taxi to come immediately, but they can now order a car up to 30 days in advance.
The service will initially be available to customers with a business account, but will be extended to the company’s 2 million London users within a fortnight.
Tom Elvidge, Uber’s general manager for London, said: “Instead of tapping a button a few minutes before you need the ride, you can now tell us hours or days in advance when you need a car and we’ll do it for you.”
He said the service had been introduced in response to customer demand for booked cabs.
Uber has been experimenting with different formats, including the UberEATS delivery service, which pits the company against Deliveroo.
Moving into the booked car market could intensify the animosity between Uber and traditional taxi drivers, who have protested bitterly against its assault on their business.
