Taxi Driver Online

Supermarket offers free taxi home

Supermarket giant Tesco is offering customers a free cab ride home in central London, no matter how little they spend in the store. The firm says customers can hail or ring a hotline to get one of the 20 branded black cabs to take them anywhere in zones one and two.

All they need is a Tesco receipt to claim their free trip.

The supermarket says its not a gimmick but could not say how long the waiting time for a cab might be. The company also said if it proved successful the scheme could be rolled out across the UK.

The service is available from 1100 BST to 1900 BST, Monday to Friday.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We're happy to be able to provide a free ride home for our customers, so that even if they want to do a big shop in their local London Tesco, they won't have to worry about getting it home."

_________________
ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

lets see how long that lasts. wait until tesco get their account bill through the door! not open to abuse of course, by either passenger or driver.

I think its great if you are one of those drivers.
Go do a little bit of shopping and vthen claim back some of the costs of it.
I wonder if some of the drivers will be looking in the bins for receipts.
One thing is for certain though. If one of the drivers is at the front of the rank he isn;t going to run to a tescos for a local job.

Enter Medigen or Taxibank.

I suppose in some ways this is a positive issue. If Tesco's are going to pay for customers to get home in a cab, then let's hope it does continue.

However if it does, I very much doubt they will carry on using London Cabs, maybe they will use Wharfie's taxibuses.

_________________
IDFIMH

I can hardly believe the story, never mind think it'll continue for very long.

But after all, isn't Tesco's marketing slogan "Every gimmick helps?"

_________________
Dundee rocks. Almost.

Nail on the head Mr Cgull.

The chances of any of those 20 being near a Tesco's, even if they wanted to do a short local with some old dear's shopping, is close to zero.

They will be down at Heathrow, or maybe doing more Virgin work up at Birmingham.

_________________
IDFIMH

more:

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3670438

11:54am (UK)
Tesco and Go - Free Cabs for Shoppers

By Graham Hiscott, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, PA News

Supermarket chain Tesco today announced a free taxi service for shoppers.

Customers can get a cab to anywhere in central London, regardless of how little they spent in store, as part of a four-week trial.

Tesco insists the scheme is not a gimmick and may extend it to the rest of the country.

However, the service is limited to just 20 Tesco-branded black cabs operated by Radio Taxis in the capital.

If shoppers are lucky enough to spot one of the cars they can hail it down, show the driver their Tesco receipt and be taken anywhere in zones one and two in the capital.

Otherwise customers can call a special taxi hotline (020 7561 5044) and request one of the 20 cabs.

The service will be available between 11am and 7pm, Monday to Friday.

A Tesco spokesman said: “The Tesco Taxi Service is the first from a UK retailer and is another way of making life easier for our London customers.

We’re happy to be able to provide a free ride home for our customers, so that even if they want to do a big shop in their local London Tesco, they won’t have to worry about getting it home.”

Tesco were unable to give an approximate time of how long customers may have to wait for a Tesco-branded cab after calling the hotline.

and a picture of one of the cabs in this article:

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.539350.0.tesco_shoppers_get_free_cab_home.php

You would have thought they would have done it so if you spent over £50 you get a free cab. i cant see it lasting without a minimum spend. seems daft that i can go into tesco, buy a newspaper and get a free cab in to the city.

In some areas, mine for example, a designated taxirank is right next to Tesco, the majority of the HC lads work comes from the store and by only offering 20 cabs rights to be used a lot of our HC lads will surely feel the pinch.

The town centre Tescos will see benefits but I doubt the larger Tesco Extra stores will see any benefit at all as they tend to be out of town.

In my area it will work well for Tesco and for the HC lads (if they are all included) but it will take away some of our work as we get quite a few jobs from Tescos.

Charlie,sorry for being inquisitive,but how large is your paper round,and do you have a bicycle.Also is it a seven day round?

No its a six day round, I don't have a bicycle and it includes 15 tower blocks..................... I get a canny wage from it and enjoy the work.

Your inquisitive nature leads my own inquisitive nature into believing that you are, or were, a cat, and you know what happened to the curious cat, hope you still have all nine lives in tact.

Lots of love
Charlie

Only eight left I am afraid,my wife found me with another pussy,just escaped with my left one still attached,but hey my feet are still in the Boots. TOM with only one attached.

If this service ever came to Manchester the guys would love it. They would be queing up all day long to take these punters home. However, I can't see Tesco expanding this service to the provinces because it will cost them a small fortune.

Best wishes

JD

just a warning floks Tescos pay thier accounts every 3 months.
till then go to the pub, and go to tescos and buy a mars bar.
yer on ter way ome