Uber rival set to launch in Blackpool

Lee Millward has created Vooma, an app for taxi drivers and customers

Entrepreneur Lee Milward has been granted an operators licence by Blackpool Council to launch his Voomacab system in the resort.

Some cab companies in the town, such as Premier, already operate their own apps but the latest proposal would enable individual private hire and hackney drivers to harness the technology.

Uber does not operate in Blackpool, where the council licences a fleet of 256 taxis in the town.

Mr Milward, whose business is based at FY Creatives on Church Street, had his licence application approved by the council’s public protection sub-committee.

He said afterwards: “Uber invented the original taxi app and if you look at the apps already in Blackpool they all have the same operating principles.

“But mine does a bit more because it is powered by Google.

“It will also offer a seamless payment solution which will reduce the risk of ‘jumpers’, those people who run off without paying their fare, which is a massive headache for taxi drivers in Blackpool.”

Former soldier Lee, who has worked as a cabbie in Fylde, researched and developed his app over the last 12 months.

He added: “I have an advantage because I know what taxi drivers want and what passengers want.

“I’m hoping to launch in Blackpool first in May, but I also have clearance to introduce it in other areas including in Scotland.”

In his submission to the council he said: “Instead of digging around for their fare to pay the driver or reaching into their handbag or back pocket for their cards, Voomacab stores their debit card via our payment gateway. For every completed fare the app charges the card, so the passenger doesn’t have to hang around to pay the driver and the driver doesn’t have to carry money on their person all day long and be at risk of theft.”

In 2015, the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association (BLOTA) introduced Cabapp, which also used mobile phone technology to book and track taxis but the scheme failed to take off.

None of Blackpool’s taxi firms were available for comment yesterday.