The acquisition will see Addison Lee purchase the London operations of Computer Cab plc (ComCab), not really a surprise as the present owners City Fleet Networks and Flightlink International from the ComfortDelGro Corporation are all in the private hire business.
In their statement they say "This now makes Addison Lee London’s largest one tier private hire and taxi company, as well as London’s largest same day courier business.
Following completion, customers will be able to book car, taxi, and courier services all on one seamless mobility platform".
Addison Lee’s CEO Liam Griffin said, I am sure there will be a few raised eyebrows at this deal given that Addison Lee and black taxis were once seen as competitors— 'were once seen as competitors'….does Liam really believe that this acquisition puts his failing minicab business in the same league as licensed Hackney Carriages???
He goes on to say…"However, the industry we operate in has changed and this alliance combines the two most professional companies in our sectors who share the same focus on quality of service, the customers we serve and the importance of the drivers. We have always held the black taxi as our benchmark, and it’s now a privilege to be able to work with them.”
“As London emerges from the pandemic, there’s going to be a significant increase in demand for safe, quality transport from both corporates and consumers. The London black taxi is iconic and famous as the best taxi service anywhere in the world. By bringing Addison Lee and ComCab together we consolidate our position as the market leader in corporate ground transport and we will be able to meet the need for quality and excellence in a way that none of competitors can.”
So there we have it, another failing minicab app trying to rescue their business by buying their way into the licensed Taxi market.
We’ve seen this before with Hailo, Gett and FreeNow at great cost to the Taxi trade.
The drivers who work on in these circumstances are no more than Turkeys voting for Christmas. No thought to our future, just Jam today.
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT: by Steve Lodge.
A long time ago in a London far far away...
Com cab was arguably the busiest radio circuit just a few short years ago, you got quality work, run ins, scrubs you had a roller bond (which was a great way for the driver to save for overhaul or tax bill and gave a cash flow to the company) you even got a free Christmas pudd.
It started to go downhill even before the appearance of the apps, it sold out to the Singapore cab company and then closed its call centre moved it so far north it shared office space with farther Christmas and his elf's.
It was the first to use GPS to give drivers work with its ridiculously expensive mobi-star (all paid for by drivers) dragging the London taxi trade into the 20th century
It was set up to combat minicabs with the LTDA, that was in the days when the LTDA was there to protect the London cab trade not to just promote a ridiculously expensive taxi and give you buy one, get one free offers to Lego land
Well, it's gone the way of all the other rats running from the sinking ship that is the London taxi trade, it been brought by Addison lee the minicab company, which is strange because over the last year or so we been hearing how much trouble they were in, I suspect the money transfer is probably really being handled by Uber... I'll put me septic peg hat on again and stroke me crystal ball and predict that within 12-18 months Uber will buy out add lee.
I know that people will say I'm negative and a doomer but this is another nail in the coffin, in fact, we have so many of late I think they're using a nail gun
The sad thing is drivers will still stay on ComCab using the same crap excuses of being on GETT and FREE NOW..... But think about this how can we mess up this deal as taxi drivers, it's simple leave the circuit NOW...TODAY this minute and the moment you do com cab becomes just another minicab app it's just Addison lee .
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