Uber rival Lyft has agreed to acquire the UK business of Gett as it expands into London.
Gett is an app which features three-quarters of London’s black cabs and has built B2B relationships with clients ranging from London’s largest corporations to historic venues and major public sector organisations.
The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks and will nearly double the number of rides on the Lyft platform in London, Europe’s largest taxi and ride-hail market.
It complements its comprehensive suite of ground transport options, which include private hire vehicles, bikes and executive chauffeur rides.
Lyft already owns Freenow; currently provides and was recently renewed to provide the bikes and stations for Santander Cycles, including the software that powers them; and later this year will be testing autonomous rides in London with Baidu – making it one of the only platforms in the world offering both human-driven and autonomous rides in the city.
The Gett team will transfer to Freenow by Lyft once the acquisition is complete.
Wi-Fi mobile ordering firm which raised £16m to be liquidated
“Those who drive black cabs are some of the world’s most qualified drivers. Drivers pass the world’s toughest taxi exam, learning 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks before being licensed,” said Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of Freenow by Lyft.
“We are excited to welcome Gett into the Lyft ecosystem, strengthening our customer-centric black cab and private hire service for Londoners, passengers across the UK, and travellers worldwide.”
Matteo de Renzi, CEO of Gett, added: “We are delighted to start a new chapter for Gett operations in the UK with Lyft.
“I’m confident that under this new ownership, the team at Gett by Lyft will continue to reach new heights, for the benefit of all our customers, drivers, and partners.”