FOLLOWING news it has been given licence to run taxis in Swindon, UBER says it is keen to expand into the town.

The licence was officially granted last year but the company, which has drivers across the globe, says there is no set date for it to start operating here.

UBER is a smart-phone based company whereby users order their taxi via a download an app and is widely seen as being more convenient.

The company has seen huge growth in recent years and a spokesman told the Adver that it is keen to move into all major UK cities and towns, including Swindon, but time is needed to set the business up.

UBER’s Harry Porter said: “We were granted a license in Swindon last year, however this isn't necessarily an indication of when we might launch.

“There are a number of other steps we need to go through, such as finding the right people locally to run the business. As such we don’t as yet have a fixed date for being operational in the town.”

The rapid expansion of the company has been met with controversy, with a number of local firms concerned it will end up with money leaving the area as UBER takes fees from drivers.

In London there have be large-scale protests from black-cab drivers, which argue UBER drivers are not subject to the same level of scrutiny.

This is something the firm has denied, saying all its drivers undergo the same checks and are fully qualified drivers.

“In the UK UBER is fully licensed and regulated in every city it operates in and all drivers who use the UBER app are fully licensed private hire drivers,” said Harry.

“Millions of people in fifteen towns and cities across the country now use our app to get a convenient, safe and affordable ride at the push of a button.

“For drivers who partner with us it's also a chance to be their own boss as they can decide when and where they work.

“We look forward to bringing UBER to many more towns and cities across the UK in the coming months.”

Swindon Borough Council has also confirmed that when UBER comes to Swindon it will be subject to the same rules as all other firms.

A spokesman said: “UBER will be required to abide by the same regulations and security checks that all other taxi operators in the Borough are subject to, and UBER have agreed to that.

"They and their drivers will be treated in exactly the same way as every other taxi business.”