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.
Uber used as a getaway driver in Bank Robbery
Taxi drivers never know who’s getting into the back of their cab. It could be sports stars, actors, rock stars, politicians . . . the possibilities are endless as this Uber driver found out.
But even with the use of booking apps, drivers don’t really know who they are picking up – or what their passengers are doing.
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.
There are no winners with taxi cancel culture
Cancellations are hurting taxi drivers, passengers and venues – and are making people lose faith in public hire app bookings.
It is easy to understand why a black cab taxi driver on route to a booking might stop to pick up a fare in the street and cancel the booking – or why passengers who book a public hire cab jump in the nearest available taxi instead.
Court case could see VAT charged on taxi fares
A landmark court case could see VAT added to all private hire and public hire taxi journeys, forcing up prices across the UK.
Uber has brought a High Court claim against Sefton Council in Merseyside to force hackney carriage drivers, as well as private hire drivers and bases in the borough to charge VAT on all fares.
Should taxi drivers have to take a language test?
Black cab drivers in London have hit out at proposals to introduce English language tests for all taxi drivers in the capital.
Since 2016, Transport for London has made it compulsory for private hire drivers to undertake the English Language Requirement to make sure that drivers have an appropriate understanding of English.
Taxi drivers are right to call for tariffs to rise
Taxi drivers are calling for tariffs to be increased as the cost-of-living crisis continues to put the squeeze on people’s finances.
For the past year, we have all battled with rising fuel and energy costs, which have helped push up inflation. For public hire, private hire drivers and others who earn their living on the road, there has been little choice but to take a hit at the pumps.
The future could be wireless for black cabs
Black cabs are charging their taxis wirelessly as part of a trial to bring more electric vehicles into the fleet and on to our roads.
One of the biggest obstacles to using EVs in the taxi fleet is range, with public hire and private hire drivers expressing concerns that the distance they can travel before having to recharge will prevent them operating efficiently.