Addison Lee to Become London's Biggest Taxi & Private Hire Firm
The number of acquisitions and mergers in the taxi and private hire trade over the past 2 years has been incredible. The most recent of these, which has been causing surprise to some, is Addison Lee’s acquisition of rival firm ComCab. The addition of ComCab’s 2500 fleet of black cabs places Addison Lee as the largest taxi and private hire firm in London, as well as being the largest same-day courier service.
This takes Addison Lee’s combined fleet to around 7000 vehicles. The deal sees Addison Lee purchase the London operations of Computer Cab plc (ComCab), City Fleet Networks and Flightlink International. The purchase, from Singapore-listed ComfortDelGro Corporation, has gone ahead for an undisclosed sum, thought to be well into the millions of pounds. Upon completion of the deal, travellers will be able to arrange private hire, taxi, and courier services all on one platform.
Commenting on the acquisition, Addison Lee’s CEO Liam Griffin said:
“I am sure there will be a few raised eyebrows at this deal given that Addison Lee and black taxis were once seen as competitors. However, the industry we operate in has changed and this alliance combines the two most professional companies in our sectors who share the same focus on quality of service, the customers we serve and the importance of the drivers. We have always held the black taxi as our benchmark, and it’s now a privilege to be able to work with them.”
Rudy Tan, CityFleet Networks CEO, echoed Liam’s comments, saying:
“We are excited to be coming together with a strong brand like Addison Lee that shares many of our same values. By joining forces with Addison Lee, our customers will have access to a wider choice of premium transport solutions, and our Hackney Carriage drivers will get access to a growing pool of customers and more opportunities to work. Keeping the ComCab branding will preserve our status as the leading taxi operator in London.”
According to Addison Lee, further details of future plans will be released upon completion of the deal. As yet there isn’t a confirmed date for when this might be but what is certain is that this gives Addison Lee a much larger market reach than ever before in the nation's capital.
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