Uber announced a new partnership with Los Angeles Yellow Cab Tuesday morning.
This partnership has already launched in New York City and San Francisco, and now it will soon take off in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
“When customers request a ride with UberX, they might get picked up by a taxi driver, if they’re nearby,” Uber said in a statement.
When requesting an Uber, riders will be notified if they are matched with a taxi. They will then have the option to decline and be re-matched with a driver who is not in a taxi or simply cancel their ride.
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“As we continue to strengthen our relationship with the taxi industry, we’re excited to announce our partnership with Los Angeles Yellow Cab, and its five partner fleets in Southern California,” said Camiel Irving, General Manager of US & Canada Mobility at Uber. “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.”
Taxi drivers who provided Uber trips in the second quarter of 2023 earned an average of $1,767 per month from those trips alone, and earned 23.8% more on average than taxi drivers who did not provide Uber trips, the statement said.
The multi-year partnership with Uber will allow taxi drivers to gain access to Uber trip referrals, providing drivers with “more earnings opportunities, cities with less empty miles driven, and riders with faster pickups.”
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The six SoCal taxi companies include San Diego Yellow Cab, California Yellow Cab, Los Angeles Yellow Cab, Long Beach Yellow Cab, Fiesta Taxi Cooperative, Inc. and United Checker Cab and have a total of approximately 1,200 vehicles.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Uber because it’s a clear win-win for drivers and riders,” said William Rouse, CEO of the taxi operations. “We anticipate that this partnership will have a positive impact for our driver-owners as the pandemic recovery continues. 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.”
