After 103 years of service, Yellow Cab of Pittsburgh switches gears to become zTrip

PITTSBURGH — After 103 years of service, Yellow Cab of Pittsburgh is switching gears to transform into

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The transformation to the new ride service was officially announced Tuesday. The yellow vehicles will be phased out and replaced with a more fuel-efficient silver fleet.%

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The company will still take calls for rides, but it will also use an app similar to Uber and Lyft. The difference from those ride-sharing apps is riders will be able to book ahead without surge pricing, in which fares increase when demand is higher.

"Hopefully the rest of the taxi industry will follow us, then the traditional taxi service will survive. But I'm afraid if people don't make changes, it won't survive,” zTrip President Jamie Campolongo said.

Riders will also have the option to pay cash or credit for a ride.

The change for the taxi company could have an impact on another industry, one that’s technically illegal in the city.

Unlicensed taxis, better known as jitneys, are a vital means of transportation for people in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods, but Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he doesn’t expect Tuesday’s announcement to effect jitneys one way or the other.

"I think there will always be a jitney community. It's a very strong part of how people get to their groceries or get to the places they need to go,” Peduto said.

Campolongo said 40 percent of zTrip’s business is through people calling for rides. He said that will remain a key part of the business, and the company had no plans of eliminating it anytime soon.

Cox Media Group