Uber, whose arrival in New York City a decade ago hurt the traditional cab business, has now agreed to list the city's yellow taxi cabs on its app.

New York City and Limousine Commission's authorized technology providers Curb Mobility and Creative Mobile Technologies announced the deal Thursday, which will connect their ride-hailing software to Uber's.

"Our partnership with Uber is a natural step forward in the expansion of ground mobility and, as a driver-first company we will remain committed to our taxi drivers and fleets as we work with Uber to generate enhanced stability and financial wellness for members of the taxi industry," Curb CEO Amos Tamam said in a statement.

"We've found great success in creating incremental trip demand and revenue for drivers by integrating with several aggregators over the past two years, and this partnership builds on that success by delivering even greater opportunities for cab drivers to have access to an ever-widening pool of riders."

Around 14,000 taxi drivers will be added to the list on Uber app under the deal, Uber said.

The deal, set to take effect this spring, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Uber global mobility chief Andrew MacDonald told the WSJ the deal is "bigger and bolder than anything we've done."

The agreement eases Uber's driver shortage in exchange for directing more business to the yellow cab drivers who lost business due to the onset of Uber and Lyft apps and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the WSJ.

"New York City is back! Creative Mobile Technologies Chairman Ron Sherman said in a statement on the deal. "As businesses bring their employees back, as tourists flock to New York City again and as New Yorkers start going out and replenishing our local economy after a devastating pandemic, yellow taxis and Uber are bringing the best our industries have to offer to help this city get back on its feet."

The onset of the ride-hailing giant in New York City a decade ago triggered a slow-motion decline in the yellow cab business with taxi owners arguing that Uber flouted regulations, but riders and drivers still switching to it.

The market for the taxi drivers medallions allowing them to operate also crashed with the competition from ride-hailing platforms, and the pandemic exacerbated the decline.

Uber has previously partnered with the taxi industry in other countries around the world, including Spain, Columbia, Turkey, Germany, Austria, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

"Uber has a long history of partnering with the taxi industry to provide drivers with more ways to earn and riders with another transportation option," MacDonald said in a statement. "Our partnerships with taxis look different around the world, and we're excited to team up with taxi software companies CMT and Curb, which will benefit taxi drivers and all New Yorkers."

MacDonald told the WSJ that Uber wants to list all taxis globally on its app by 2025.

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