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Hailo launches in Manchester a month later than Uber

App-based taxi services are the subject of anger and frustration over in London, but Manchester looks set to become the next major battleground for two of the UK's biggest. Hailo, which has served around 12,000 of London's black cabs since 2011, today went live in the north west (its first city outside of the capital), just a month after Uber officially opened its (virtual) doors to customers there. While Hailo's app currently books registered taxis for customers, the company recently announced that it was becoming a fully-featured Uber rival, which saw disgruntled London black cab drivers vandalise the company's headquarters and leave the service in their droves. According to the Manchester Evening News, 300 drivers have already signed up, but the company expects that number to grow rapidly. Nothing like a fresh competitor, it seems, to stop you resting on your laurels.