Global taxi app Gett lands in Newcastle with its eye on cab market The mobile taxi booking service has already operated in London for three years, and has chosen Newcastle as the latest city in its UK expansion plan
A new taxi app brand has launched in Newcastle just months after rivals Uber staked its claim on the city.
Global app Gett, formerly known as GetTaxi, is now recruiting licensed Hackney carriage drivers in the city as the latest phase of its UK expansion.
Around 150 drivers from the city have reportedly signed up to the service, which takes a 10% fee on every ride, and has been in operation in London for three years.
Gett head of growth, Chris Lamontagne, said the app provides a “digital handshake” between user and driver.
To hail a taxi, users switch on the app which pairs them with the nearest available driver. The technology is linked with Google maps so mobile users, regardless of their familiarity with the city, can track the driver’s progress before pick up and during the journey.
Mr Lamontagne said: “Our idea is that travel needs to be seamless between cities. One of my biggest frustrations with technology is when it sits in geographical silos, and Gett provides a solution to that. You can use the app in New York and then return to Newcastle and use the same thing for your taxi home. We saw Newcastle as a city which has embraced technology and somewhere with a smart city agenda.”
He added: “We’re different from the competition because we’re not trying to put more cars on the road. We only work with licensed Hackney carriages and that means people can expect a certain level of service and safety.”
In a bid to tempt Newcastle taxi users, who now have a choice of app services including Uber, the firm is offering £10 free credit for their first ride.
Gett, which has offices in New York, London, Tel Aviv and Moscow, has rebranded itself in anticipation of opening up other delivery service functions in addition to offering cabs.
Using the same technology Gett aims to deliver on-demand items and services such as dry cleaning and food and drink. These services are expected to launch in summer.
Mr Lamontagne added: “As consumers we are becoming more and more demanding, and this is an extension of that. Our average time in getting a taxi to a user is three-and-a-half minutes. That begs the question, what other services can we get to the consumer quickly and using geo-targetting. It’s a natural extension of our core business.”
Having identified Newcastle as the next stage in a UK expansion which has already incorporated Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester, Gett claims that 7,000 drivers nationally are already on board with the app.
Remo Gerber, chief executive officer of Gett UK, said: “We’ve been in London for five years and it’s been fantastic to see how we have connected passengers to drivers.
“After the successful launch across seven UK cities including Manchester and Edinburgh where we have had an amazing response both from consumers and drivers, we have now decided to expand even further across the country.”
UKTI chief executive Dominic Jermey added “Building on its successful foothold in the London market, I’m delighted that Gett is rolling its operation out nationally. This is yet another example of the UK attracting the best, most innovative businesses from around the world.”
Gett offers customers the chance to book rides up to two weeks in advance and confirms the driver’s name, photo and vehicle registration to users.
Licensed black cab and hackney carriage drivers interested in signing up to the Gett should visit the firm’s website:
https://gettaxi.me/driverhelp/signup/source:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business ... ds-9389337
Login
Register
FAQ
