Uber hails 2,700% rise in app users

London is poised to overtake Los Angeles as the second-fastest growing market for taxi hailing app Uber, founder Travis Kalanick has revealed.

The number of drivers signing up to the service has rocketed 2,700 per cent over the past 12 months, a rate only matched by LA and New York in the cities it operates. Mr Kalanick, speaking at the Institute of Director’s convention yesterday, predicted that London will soon overtake LA to take the number two spot, with around 1,000 new drivers signing up each month.

The service currently has 7,000 registered drivers in the capital and is looking to hit 42,000 by March 2016.

Mr Kalanick also signalled that he would like the qualification for becoming a private hire driver to be lowered. Currently all drivers must take a test and vehicles must be registered for private hire. Uber has come into conflict with regulators across the world since its launch in 2009.