More taxi firms added to Uber app
Uber is continuing its growth in the UK which could be good news for other firms and taxi drivers who are being added to its ride-sharing app.
As well as booking a ride with an UberX or UberXL driver, the Local Cab option gives passengers the option to select another private hire firm to make the journey.
Trusted taxi services supplier helps taxi drivers make the switch to EVs
As taxi operators tackle the huge task of switching their fleet to electric vehicles, taxi insurance specialist Patons Insurance has created a special partnership to help make the transition go more smoothly.
Patons has teamed up with a leading EV charging equipment provider and installer to fit EV charging equipment.
More fast chargers to keeping taxis on the move
Hundreds of thousands of rapid charging stations are needed to keep commercial vehicles such as black cabs and private hire taxis vehicles on the roads.
And London aims to lead the way with the electric vehicle revolution after Mayor Sadiq Khan announced 100 new ultra-fast electric vehicle charging points for the capital’s Red Route roads.
High interest rates hit taxi drivers trying to Go Green
Taxi drivers who want to make the switch to electric vehicles are being hit by soaring interest rates as inflation continues to bite.
The UK taxi fleet will play a big part in cutting toxic vehicle emissions and many have already made the switch, with nearly half of London’s 15,000-strong black cab fleet now including EVs and dynamos.
Will solar panels help steer taxi drivers towards EVs?
Cutting pollution and making motoring cleaner are vital for the environment and people’s health, so it makes sense to encourage taxi drivers and other professional drivers who spend more time on the road, to make the switch.
But they will only move away from petrol and diesel vehicles if they can find a reliable and affordable electric alternative.
Taxi charity helping war veteran
Taxi drivers help people every day and the heart-warming tale of a taxi driver charity reuniting a former soldier with a starving girl he fed 78 years ago could easily have come from a Hollywood blockbuster.
The Derby Telegraph reports how 21-year-old British soldier Reg Pye noticed a girl in need of food and instinctively gave her his own in June, 1944 – two weeks after D-Day.
Woman gives birth in a taxi
Congratulations to new mum Farah Cacanindin, who gave birth to a baby girl in the back of a taxi on the way to hospital!
But the story has sparked a debate on who should foot the bill for cleaning the private hire vehicle after the 26-year-old safely delivered her daughter, Naia, in an Arrow Taxis vehicle in High Wycombe.
Taxi drivers to the rescue
Taxi drivers are seeing a surge in demand as rail strikes look set to affect Christmas.
After weeks of disruption, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union last week rejected Network Rail’s latest pay offer and pressed ahead with two 48-hour strikes, having called off previous stoppages to resume negotiations.
London’s black cabs are turning green
London’s iconic black cabs have turned a corner and there are now more green vehicles on the capital’s roads than the traditional diesel models.
Latest figures from Transport for London reveal that 43% of London’s fleet of almost 15,000 black taxis are now LEVC TX zero-emission capable (ZEC) or electric, with 6,352 TXe and Dynamo taxis now licensed in the capital.
Making sure taxi drivers are ready for winter
Taxi drivers earn their living on the roads and their vehicles must be ready for anything, including the freezing temperatures we are currently experiencing with what has been called the Troll of Trondheim.
Taxis are the tools of their driver’s trade and need to be maintained to the highest standards.
Do you have sympathy for taxi drivers’ protests?
Taxi drivers often come to the rescue of people in a variety of situations, including the car breaking down, industrial action stopping them getting to a sporting event, or even getting them back to the UK after flights were cancelled.
We have admired their poignant tributes following the death of the Queen in September, as well as the Remembrance Day services last month.
Adverts to be the norm on taxis
Ride-hailing founder Uber is following its rivals with plans to launch adverts in and on its taxis.
In trials in its home city of San Francisco and in Los Angeles, Uber is using tablets in its private hire taxis to show adverts to passengers. And with valuable data at its fingertips, Uber’s advertising proposition has the potential to land global brands.