A NEW taxi app is launching in Southampton this month.

The app - Holler Taxi - aims to put ‘power back into the hands of the firms and the user’ and will debut in Southampton, before being rolled out across the south coast and then the UK.

‘Holler Taxi’ is the brainchild of Kevin Leftwich and has been a project six years in the making.

Kevin, the managing director of the company, says he came up with the concept before Uber became popular.

He said the app is different to Uber because it shows the choice available to the user and takes the fares digitally on behalf of the drivers/firms.

Mr Leftwich says the app fully integrates with the main taxi dispatch systems, so once linked in, taxi firms don’t have to anymore admin work.

And it won’t dictate the fare charges to the company.

Instead, the company has the fare charges set up their end, so it automatically works out the fare they’re charging and displays to the user.

Unlike Uber and similar companies, Holler does not have its own drivers or licence, but aims to connect fares with the taxi firms and private hires in the area.

And it’s been heralded by cabbies in Southampton, who said it could help to bring back student customers who primarily use Uber.

Ian Hall, chairman of the Southampton Hackney Private Hire Association said: “If it takes away from Uber and gives work back to taxi drivers, who’ve lost a lot of student work, then good luck to him.”

Perry McMillan, a taxi driver and Unite Union representative, said he was “100 per cent behind Holler”.

“I urge people to use traditional taxis, we’re there to help the public.

“You’re assured of local knowledge and a little chat”, he told the Daily Echo.

Joe Jones, of Door to Door Cars, added: “It’s a good idea and a good concept if they can provide work to taxi firms that sign up to them.”