Taxi Driver Online

End of the road for black cabs?


Norwich's fleet of bubble-shaped black cabs with their amber beacons could become a dying breed. The city council, which is responsible for licensing cabs, is reviewing whether to change its regulations and allow people carriers - as well as London-style black cabs - to be driven by Hackney carriage drivers.

Feelings are running high among cabbies over the controversial proposals and opinions are so divided the Norwich Hackney Trade Association has taken a formal decision to remain neutral on the subject. Until now, taxi cabs licensed by the city council have been the traditional black cab.

But now a taxi supply company in Glasgow has created people carriers with similar design features such as the partitions, capacity for six people in the back and door openings. Edinburgh has recently overhauled its regulations to allow Hackney carriage drivers to drive them and other local authorities have done the same.

Cab drivers opposing the idea say if people carriers are used it will create confusion among the public, who are can currently only use black cabs by hailing them down. They also point out that people carriers cannot turn around in a confined space.

Some cab drivers have taken out hire-purchase agreements to buy the cabs at £30,000 and are worried they will not be able to sell them on if second-hand people carriers are available. Taxi driver Tony Williment, 62, of Barclay Road, Heartsease, said: “Some drivers support this because the initial costs will be cheaper. But I think we should stick with the status quo, otherwise this is going to open a can of worms.

“We already have problems with private hire vehicles illegally plying for trade. Some of these people carriers are used in Norwich as private hire so it will confuse people. We anticipate it will bring more drivers into the trade and increase pressure on taxi ranks.”

Dave Bennett, 63, of Knox Close, another cab driver, said his biggest fear would be that the move would result in the “devaluation of the black cab”.

Norwich city council spokeswoman Sara Martinez said: “A Hackney cab driver in Norwich has asked us if they can have a people carrier and we are going to put it to members of our regulatory committee. If we give it to him it would mean a general change in our criteria.”

After a London Hackney cab driver brought an appeal, the Public Carriage Office decided it would only allow black cabs to be licensed and not people carriers. The latest LTI TX4 black cab was launched in London yesterday.

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IDFIMH

Would it be such a bad thing?

Are LTI not exploiting their monopoly right now?? If they are the only hackney manufacturers allowed to operate in certain areas? Would that explain the price of the TX4? Or are you just paying for quality?

Or, if this stance was widely adopted would it leave a load of you guys with a comparatively expensive vehicle partially on tick and allow others to compete at fractions of the initial costs? and therefore royally screw you over?

Although, after they export the manufacturing to Asia to reduce their costs maybe instead of reducing sales prices they will adopt some Malawian children to make themselves feel better and take advantage of some free publicity? Because they know that some of you guys have to pay it? Surely no one would do such a transparent publicity stunt

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Anything that gives drivers a choice is a good thing, a very good thing.

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IDFIMH

Well, that would have been my uneducated view...

But as I said, on the assumption that most HC drivers don't start out with £25k+ in their arse pocket, could it cause them issues with virtually overnight drop in assets? You wouldn't be ecstatic if you bought one the day before your council ruled against LTI would you?

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Remind me of the value of a 10/12 year old TX/FX/Fairway?

Would that amount, however much bankrupt anyone?

Whereas remind me of the difference between a TX4 and an E7.

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IDFIMH

Absolutely, that was my point although obviously poorly made!

Would they not need to give drivers a heads up on changes like that? Better give LTI shareholders a heads up aswell

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I suspect as a lower priced motor is being allowed a case could be made to lower the fares.

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IDFIMH

Hmmm... A worryingly good point... although I would hope and assume that drivers would argue against that point very strongly, as surely in the general scheme of things, I would have though that the majority of the fare was aimed to cover time and running costs, do fares increase every time fuel goes up by 1p? Did drivers get a "Bonus" when they started charging disposal fees on tyres? Have fares gone up proportionately compared to fuel over the past 10 years? I bet not??

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If that were the case, surely passengers in Doblo's wiould be offered a rebate.

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Former taxi driver

Very good! I like it

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It's not just LTI's that are allowed in Norwich - there are Metrocabs as well and they aren't all black either - or do I just imagine the pink and yellow ones, along with the blues and multi coloured ones? Norwich cabbies will do what they have been doing for years with their old cabs - sell them to their poorer neighbours on the coast

Anyway - this has to be an advantage for the Norwich drivers as there are so many - trying to think of the right word but basically minicabs - no meter, fixed rate etc operating in the city and charging stupidly low prices - surely if people got used to hailing a taxi with an illuminated top sign as they do in the neighbouring boroughs this would put some of these unlicensed operators out of business and increase the Hackney trade (I'll go away now; it's been a hard day!)

Yes, my last Metrocab ended it's days in Norwich.

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Former taxi driver

Question. How much does it cost to bung a seat and a couple of windows into a Pugeot/Fiat/Citroen van. The local dealers knock out the unconverted bread van for less than 10K, including VAT. So how much "added value" is there in conversions?

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Former taxi driver

Why bother with a Peugeot Citroen van you can get a new Skoda Octavia from The Taxi Centre Glasgow,and the special GMB deal call 01413343999 for details,by the way they deliver anywhere for free
ORGANISE EDUCATE AGITATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

Because you can't get a wheel-chair with someone sitting in it in an Octavia.

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IDFIMH