Cab comparison app Karhoo drives growth with Manchester launch

Cab comparison and booking firm Karhoo has expanded into the North West with the launch of its services in Manchester.

Operating via an app, Karhoo has been made available in Manchester just two months after its rollout in London, where it said taxi companies are now reporting revenue increases of between 20% and 30%.

So far, Call A Car, MCR Kingsway, StreetCars, Passenger Cars Group and Manchester Cars are among the city’s fleets signing up to the app.

Karhoo’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ishag, said: “We are delighted to be launching in Manchester, one of the most vibrant cities in the country.

“Karhoo will gives passengers more choice and transparency when booking a cab and, with our ever-growing network of local operators, Karhoo will make it easier to book a ride than ever before.”

A vendor-neutral service for licensed and accredited fleets, Karhoo allows passengers to compare cabs by price, proximity and style of vehicle.

With its UK HQ in London and offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Singapore, Karhoo’s global network of taxis, minicabs and executive cars now encompasses around 550k vehicles.

Image: Karhoo CEO Daniel Ishag

Karhoo expects to have around one million licensed cabs across 30 cities globally by the close of 2016.

The app’s technology offers real-time information sharing, allowing fleet operators to identify areas of high passenger demand and direct drivers to potential hot spots.

Naeem Hamid, the managing director of taxi firm Manchester Cars, said: “We have seen what Karhoo has done for the industry in London and, for us, it was a simple decision to join Karhoo.

“At a time when we are seeing work being taken away from local firms by other apps, Karhoo gives us the chance to get more rides that we did not have access to before.”

The operations director of StreetCars, Aqeel Arshad, commented: “There has been so much disruption to the industry lately and joining Karhoo allows us to make sure we are part of the future.”

Karhoo expects to soon be available in a number of other major UK cities, from Brighton to Glasgow.

In a joint statement, Derek Goodwin, the head of UK Trade & Investment’s Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP), along with GEP dealmaker Alpesh Patel, said: “Karhoo is a great example of the type of tech company that the Global Entrepreneur Programme is designed to help – a serial entrepreneur with a great business, the opportunity to grow quickly and access advanced markets all over the world.”

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