Taxi app firm boss targeting summer launch across city

Taxi firm Uber has laid bare its vision to launch in Aberdeen this summer. The operator says it will generate millions for the local economy if rolled out in the Granite City.

Matthew Freckelton, Uber’s UK head of cities, has spoken about plans to expand operations in the north-east of Scotland.

Speaking to the ChamberTalk podcast, Mr Freckelton said the venture could go live as early as August.

The US taxi app giant has applied for a new licence to operate in the city.

The firm previously had permission to operate in Aberdeen in 2018, but surrendered its licence.

Mr Freckelton said: “There’s a Licensing Committee meeting coming up in June. If we get granted the licence then, from the city launches we’ve done recently, it’s taken about a month or two before we have gone live.

“We’ll do a formal announcement that we will be going live. End of August, we’d be looking to go formally live.”

He said the project has been spearheaded by growing demand in the city.

Mr Freckelton added: “Places like Aberdeen and Dundee are our focuses in Scotland.

“We see hundreds of thousands of people over successive months who have been opening the Uber app, trying to use it.

“There are people who may have travelled for work or pleasure – maybe to London or a different city – they’ve used the Uber app, come back to Aberdeen naturally thinking they can just open the app and get one of our vehicles and then found that they can’t.

“As part of that project, we saw Aberdeen as one of the key cities we need to get licensed in, so we can start providing our travel services to the good people of the Granite City.”

Uber officials plan to employ around 40 to 50 licensed drivers, currently in operation around the city, from the outset before expanding.

It arises on the crux of ongoing driver shortages following the pandemic.

Mr Freckelton hopes by introducing the scheme, they can inject millions into the economy while helping to keep Aberdonians moving.

Speaking on the podcast, run by the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, he added: “We definitely see some challenges in Aberdeen around driver and vehicle numbers, and also from the anecdotal conversations we have had with the Chamber of Commerce, local politicians we’ve met, the airport and P&J Live.

“There is definitely a challenging licensing process the council has that may be a little bit out of date.

“When we go live, we will be taking from the existing pool of drivers and we think drivers will want to come to us.

“We can then, hopefully, get more people travelling in Aberdeen, going to use Uber for work, going to see a show, seeing friends and family or conducting business.”

If approved, locals and tourists visiting Aberdeen would be able to request an Uber to travel around the city and to destinations in Aberdeenshire.

Some P&J readers have thrown their support behind the rollout of Uber in light of the challenges securing a taxi.

However, others stressed adding additional vehicles will not deal with the root of the problem.

Sandra Geddes commented: “It is a struggle to get drivers now, don’t believe Uber will make any difference.”

READY TO ROLL: The US firm hopes to go live in Aberdeen in August if its licence application is approved in June.