Uber, the taxi and private hire app, has added people carriers to its inventory of vehicles in London and Manchester.
UberXL will offer vehicles carrying up to six people in London and eight in Manchester with cars including the Mercedes Viano (the bigger version of London’s Black Cab) and the Ford Galaxy. Example London prices include a fare from the West End to Heathrow, which is £37 at the standard rate and £52 under UberXL. The rate from Manchester Piccadilly to the airport is £18 at the normal rate and £25 with the bigger vehicle.
Uber says that some customers may get the larger vehicle sent to them when they order the standard service to keep waiting times down. However, they will not be charged the extra.
San Francisco-based Uber was launched in 2009 and now operates in more than 200 cities worldwide.
Gary Noakes