Lyft expands in London with Gett UK acquisition

US ride-hailing company Lyft has agreed to acquire the UK business of black cab app Gett, with the deal expected to close in the coming weeks subject to customary conditions. The combined platform will bring together the majority of registered black cab drivers across Greater London on the Lyft platform.

Lyft said the addition of Gett will nearly double the number of rides on its platform in the UK capital, positioning the company as the leading app for London black cabs. Gett’s team will transfer to Freenow by Lyft once the acquisition completes, bringing its enterprise business-to-business (B2B) relationships with corporate and public sector clients.

Lyft already owns Freenow and provides the bikes, stations and software for Santander Cycles in London under a recently renewed contract. It also plans to begin testing autonomous rides in London with Chinese firm Baidu later this year.

In a statement, Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Global Growth at Lyft, said: “With Gett, Lyft is expanding its coverage of London’s full ground transport ecosystem. This milestone reflects Lyft’s commitment to the London market and our belief in its long-term potential.”

Matteo de Renzi, Chief Executive of Gett, added: “We are delighted to start a new chapter for Gett operations in the UK with Lyft. I’m confident that under this new ownership, the team at Gett by Lyft will continue to reach new heights, for the benefit of all our customers, drivers, and partners.”

Source: Lyft