The rideshare company on Tuesday announced a new partnership with major taxi operations in Southern California, including L.A. Yellow Cab.
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"Taxi drivers will gain access to Uber trip referrals, providing them with more earnings opportunities, cities will get less empty miles driven, and riders will have faster pickups," Uber said in a statement.
Onboarding for taxicab drivers in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties will begin this week, according to the news release. Once fully integrated, taxi drivers will be eligible to receive Uber trip referrals.
A similar taxi pilot exists in San Francisco and New York City.
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According to Uber, an analysis found that taxi drivers who provided Uber trips in the second quarter of 2023 earned an average of $1,767 per month from those trips alone, and earned 23.8% more on average than taxi drivers who did not provide Uber trips.
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Outside Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning, some Uber drivers who spoke with ABC7 said taxi drivers have had an advantage at the airport because of where they are positioned.
"I'm in shock, first of all," Uber driver Arman Sayamyan said after the Uber-Yellow Cab partnership was announced. "I feel like, in terms of taxi drivers getting their choices -- more choices than we do -- I feel like we also deserve to get their (trip referrals)."