London’s black cabs could be made to offer contactless payments June 19, 2015 Black cabs could be legally obliged to accept contactless credit cards, as a new set of proposals are opened up to consultation. Transport for London has put forward the idea – that contactless payments be accepted in all London taxis – as part of a move to modernise the industry and make it easier [...]
London mayor Boris Johnson told black cab driver to “f*** off and die” June 17, 2015 London mayor Boris Johnson has been filmed telling a London black cab driver to "f*** off and die" before adding "and not in that order". The Tory MP was cycling home when he became involved with the cabbie who appears to gesticulate at him and say "you're one of them mate" in footage obtained by [...]
Black cab protest: Police close Victoria Street, Buckingham Gate as United Cabbies Group rails against TfL’s lack of support May 26, 2015 Central London roads were gridlocked this afternoon as the black cab protest caused chaos around Parliament Square, Whitehall, Embankment and Lambeth Palace Road. Campaigners are directing the protest, scheduled to take place between 2pm and 4pm today, against Transport for London, which they claim are not doing enough to keep on top of regulation [...]
Maaxi road test: The ride-sharing app turning black cabs into public transport April 14, 2015 It's a balmy London day and I’m sitting comfortably in a black cab, but, for the purposes of demonstrating his new ride sharing app, Maaxi boss Gabriel Campos wants me to envisage a more typical travel scenario. “Just imagine you’re waiting at the bus stop in the freezing cold and the next one’s not coming [...]
This morning I rode to work in a Metrocab, London’s first electric taxi – is this black cabbies’ Uber-killer? April 8, 2015 Since taxi app Uber launched in London two years ago, the capital's traditional cabbies have developed something of an image problem. With various strikes and lawsuits on the go, the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) has lost the sympathy of many of its passengers by appearing stubborn, protectionist and out of date. But now cabbies [...]
London Black Cabs hail their greener future March 26, 2015 THE CAPITAL’S iconic Black Cabs will soon be turning green after the London Taxi Company announced that its new Coventry facility would include a research, development and assembly centre for an upcoming electric and ultra-low emission model. Chinese car manufacturer Geely is investing £250m into the facility and it will create 1,000 jobs.
London’s new low emission black cabs will be made in Coventry with £250m Chinese investment from owner Geely March 26, 2015 The new generation of London's iconic black cabs will be made in a new factory in the Midlands being built by a Chinese company, creating 1,000 new jobs. Geely, the Chinese firm which took over the 100-year-old British cab manufacturer Manganese Bronze in 2013, will invest £250m in building a new factory and research and [...]
London cab firm Addison Lee embarks on global expansion with New York launch March 3, 2015 London cab firm Addison Lee is expanding its services to the hotly contested taxi battleground of New York. The expansion, its first outside London, will give the firm access to the second biggest cab market in the world after London's, which is worth an estimated £2.2bn. The private equity-owned firm said the expansion was spurred [...]
ECJ deals bitter blow to Addison Lee as black cabs retain exclusive right to bus lanes January 14, 2015 London's black cabs have retained the exclusive right to share the capital's bus lanes as a result of a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Eventech, the owner of a minicab fleet used by Addison Lee, brought the case to the ECJ after losing at the High Court. The company decided to fight [...]
London cabbies demand government clampdown on Uber’s tax arrangements January 13, 2015 Over 20,000 taxi and minicab drivers are demanding the government clamp down on American taxi app service Uber in what may be the first major conflict between cabbies and Uber in London this year. The drivers, many of whom are represented by the Licensed Private Hire Car (LPHCA), say they want to put an end [...]