ubiCabs has launched its minicab app for iOS and Android, which enables Londoners to hail the nearest avalable minicab using their phone. The app will inform the customer of how long their journey will take, and how much it will cost. Users can pay using their phone, via registered credit card.

ubiCabs will be adding Facebook integration in the near future, the company says, which will enable a users friends to track their journey.

“The private hire industry is worth £2.6bn annually, and every day 150,000 minicab journeys are made in London alone”, says Lorenzo Caffarri, co-founder of ubiCabs. “It’s big business, but we know from talking with minicab firms that up to 45 per cent of their cars are empty at any one time. It’s lost business for the drivers and their firms, while adding to congestion. By using our expertise in logistics ubiCabs aims to deliver a marked improvement for both minicab firm and passenger.”

ubiCabs was founded by Jay Patel, Lorenzo Caffarri and Prem Sharma, using their collective IT and logistics experience from companies including Carrefour and Google. The company is backed by Multimap entrepreneur Sean Phelan and Joe Bitran, founder, and chief executive of UK corporate chauffeur business Travelhire.