Uber-rival launches in the Midlands
Ride hailing and sharing platform Ola has launched in the Midlands.
The India-based Uber rival Ola is now available in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Dudley and Sandwell.
It will allow passengers to hail a black cab or private hire vehicle. The company will be launched in style with a Bollywood dance troop at Victoria Square and will be running a tuk-tuk competition this Saturday (27 April).
Ben Legg, managing director of Ola UK, said: “On Saturday we will be celebrating our Midlands launch by taking to the road with a fleet of tuk-tuks to give lifts to locals. This will mark the start of more travel and employment choices for Brummies and across the Black Country, as we seek to bring on more drivers into our fleet too.”
Ola charges 10% commission to black cabs. The Birmingham launch follows the introduction of the ride-hailing platform in Liverpool last month.
Birmingham is Ola’s sixth UK launch destination, following Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Exeter.
Earlier this week, Birmingham City Council announced a £15m package for taxi drivers after the announcement of the Clean Air Zone, which would see cab drivers have to pay £8 to enter the city centre. Taxi drivers have undertaken a nine-day “go-slow” protest as a result.
