Business: Fastest growing taxi firm picks up city favourite

Bosses say the deal is an exciting opportunity for City to offer an improved private hire experience for driver-partners and their passengers.

They have moved to reassure passengers that they can still book rides with City Taxis on their free booking app or using the usual City Taxis' phone numbers.

The same City driver-partners will continue to pick up passengers in a City Taxis branded vehicle and take them safely to their destination with the same fares paid as usual.Launched in 2013, Veezu invest heavily in technology and infrastructure to ensure regional brands like City Taxis remain at the heart of the community, without needing to sacrifice anything in terms of the passenger experience.

It says it is now the UK's leading data-driven tech-enabled mobility platform to the private hire sector.Arnie Singh, managing director of City Taxis, said: “City Taxis has grown from a small family-run business with 34 cars to a business with access to more than 2,000 driver-partners.

"We help move millions of people each year, and I am humbled to have played a vital role in this growth.“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey so far, from staff and driver-partners to businesses and riders.“We are incredibly enthusiastic about what joining Veezu means for City Taxis moving forward.

"I am confident that joining a larger business with a hyper-local focus will help to keep local taxi companies in demand without compromising on technology or service levels.”Nathan Bowles, chief executive of Veezu, said: “I'm delighted to welcome Arnie and City Taxis into the Veezu Group.

"City Taxis is a high-quality business in Sheffield and the surrounding areas and we’re looking forward to continuing to provide #smarterlocalrides to the community.

"I'm really pleased that Arnie will join our management team at Veezu, playing a pivotal role in the next growth stage of our business.”