On September 22, Uber was stripped of its licence and the taxi-hailing service has appealed the decision, but we would rather have a backup plan.

Since we already had a list of potential Uber-successors, we thought we would tried them out. We selected Gett, MyTaxi and Kabbee to save you the trouble of trying them all yourselves.

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We all gathered at 1pm on 26 September near East India Quay, east London. The plan was simple: each one of us would pick an app, download it and order a taxi. We would travel to the Southbank Centre, near Waterloo station and record the time our journey took from booking to arrival. Some were luckier than others, read on.

Claire - MyTaxi

Time: 31m 31s

Price: £14.10 with a 50% discount plus a 10% tip.

A MyTaxi ride is cost-effective, but without promo codes, it can get pricey in no time.

They are offering a 50% discount from the 25th until the 30th September. A full-price journey would have costed a dear £23.40.

The driver picked me up 5 minutes after I booked my journey from 110 East Ferry Road. The app was easy to use, with a simple interface and basic booking options as well as a tracking system.

Unlike Uber, MyTaxi uses licensed black cabs to get you where you need to be. It is driver-friendly, and travelling in an iconic black cab on the cheap is definitely a plus.

The journey was pleasant enough. The driver and I had a little chat but he let me enjoy the rest of the journey quietly. No uncomfortable small talk needed.

Overall, it was a standard taxi experience. I was glad there was a discount. I would have opted for a bus ride if the app had been full-price.

James - Gett

Time: 37m 9s

Price: £24.38

Gett's app has a simple and easy interface — your details are added in and you can choose from a small selection of cabs.

My car arrived promptly, the driver was friendly and the journey was hassle-free, as one would hope. Having used Uber both here in the UK and in the US, my first reaction was to gawp at the price. In Washington, DC, I can travel almost anywhere in the city for under $10 in an Uber, here I was about to spend almost £25 for a not irregular trip.

My conversation with my driver helped quell that unease. What you are paying for, he told me, is not just a guy in a car to take you from A to B - but insurance should something happen and a more secure and fulfilling life for your driver who will not have to go without holidays or work through the night to stay afloat.

But on a journalist's salary, I'm likely to choose the bus.

Josh - Kabbee

Time: 1hr11m22s

Price: £17.10

The Kabbee interface was very intuitive and easy to use. I had no problem booking my taxi.

I took the cheapest option which, at £17, was not much more than an Uber although the quoted arrival time of 15 minutes was on the long side.

The first alarm bell rang when I received a confirmation text telling me that Swiss Cottage Cars were handling my booking – Swiss Cottage is the other side of London from the Docklands.

Then I waited. And waited. And waited some more. It was more than 45 minutes until the taxi arrived.

I do not know how typical this experience was or how much quicker I would have been served had I not selected the cheapest option. That said, waiting 45 minutes for a taxi in the middle of London on a Monday lunchtime is poor service.

Uber London