Uber is putting an end to its UberTaxi service following drop in use

Uber has announced that it will be shutting down its UberTaxi service in London after seeing the number of riders ‘tail off’ in recent months.

UberTaxi launched in 2014 enabling users of the Uber app to hail one of London’s famous black cabs instead of a normal Uber car. The transportation network says it will now focus more of its time on UberPool, wheelchair accessible vehicles and fully electric cars.

“At Uber we always want our riders to be able to get a car whenever they want and wherever they are – no matter which option on our app they choose. That hasn’t been the case recently with UberTaxi, which is why we will be ending this option on 31 March,” said Uber, in a blog post.

“As for London’s iconic black cabs we believe the answer to the extra competition they’ve seen is to reduce the costs they face, rather than imposing bureaucratic new rules on apps like Uber. That’s how taxis and apps like Uber can live side by side for many years to come.”

Uber’s decision to put a stop to its taxi service comes as news of Daimler-owned taxi app MyTaxi launching in London following its merger with British taxi app Hailo.