Online private hire firm Uber starts operating in Southampton today and says “tens of thousands” of people have downloaded its smartphone app in readiness for the new service.
The company said its most affordable product uberX will go live from 4pm today in central Southampton and will be a 24-hour, seven days a week operation.
Uber’s general manager Fred Jones said an undisclosed pool of self employed private hire drivers had signed up to operate its services and its range would widen as the demand grew and more drivers signed up.
Uber is a technology platform that connects passengers and licensed private hire drivers in real time through a GPS-enabled smartphone app, which enables customers to track a car on screen as it approaches to pick them up. Once requested, the passenger sees the driver’s photo, name and car registration and the transaction is cashless.
