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History of the London Taxi

LBT — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:27:06 +0000

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The Hackney Carriage

The first black taxi in London was the hackney coach in the 17th Century. The name comes from hacquenée, the French term for a general-purpose horse. It literally means “ambling nag”.

Hackney carriage, from the French word hacquenee, meaning ambling nag

In 1625 there were as few as 20 available for hire, operating out of inn yards. In 1636, the owner of four hackney coaches brought them into the Strand outside the Maypole Inn, and the first taxi rank had appeared. A tariff was established for various parts of London, and his drivers wore a livery, so they would be easily recognisable. ‘Hackney Carriage’ is still the official term used to describe taxis.

Hackney carriage no 4539 and a long line of hanson cabs awaiting customers in Lower Regent Street

After the Civil War , in 1654 Oliver Cromwell set up the Fellowship of Master Hackney Carriages by Act of Parliament, and taxi driving became a profession. This makes the licensed taxi trade the oldest regulated public transport system in the world.

The Hansom Cab

The Hansom Cab was a two-wheeled cart that combined speed with safety

In 1834, Joseph Hanson designed and patented the hansom cab. It was a two-wheeled horse-drawn cart that was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low centre of gravity for safe cornering. It replaced the four-wheeled hackney carriage as a vehicle for hire.

Taximeters

There are two versions of the taximeter story. One story is that the taximeter was invented by a German aristocrat, the Baron von Thurn und Taxis. There actually is a German aristocratic family by the name of Thurn und Taxis, and they set up the first postal system in Europe.

The other version of the taximeter story (and the more documented one) is that it was invented by Wilhelm Bruhn (not a Baron) in 1891, and that the word comes from the German word taxe meaning charge or levy.

Taximeters were originally mechanical. With the introduction of this clockwork mechanism to measure fares, the name of the vehicles became taxicab. Taximeters were originally mounted outside the cab, above the driver’s side front wheel. Meters were soon relocated inside the taxi, and in the 1980s electronic meters were introduced, doing away with the once-familiar ticking sound of the meter’s timing mechanism.

London’s Motorised Cabs

London’s first motor cabs were electrically powered. They were called Berseys after Walter C. Bersey, the manager of the London Electrical Cab Company who designed them, but were nicknamed ‘Hummingbirds’ from the sound that they made. They were introduced in 1897.

The first petrol powered cab in London was a French-built Prunel, introduced in 1903. Early British makes included Rational, Simplex and Herald but these appeared in small numbers.

In 1929 Mann and Overton, the biggest taxi dealership, sponsored Austin to create a new and much more cost-effective cab which immediately dominated the market.

The first petrol taxis were made by Austin

In 1947 a new Austin, the FX3, appeared on the market. The design of the FX3 is still considered to be the look of the traditional London taxi.

Austin FX3 Taxi

In 1958, the FX4 appeared. It became the best-known taxi in history over its long life. It remained in continuous production with various modifications, with five different engines, for 39 years.

The FX4, the best-known taxi in history over its long life

In 1972, a prototype, called the Metrocab, was introduced. However, it failed to go into production until 1987.

The Metrocab

Next came the Fairway. In 1989, the FX4 was revised to create the Fairway, including a fully wheelchair-accessible interior. Sadly, the last Fairways will be taken out of service in 2012. In spite of being upgraded to Euro 3 emission standards, the Fairway will disappear from London streets as a hire vehicle. Happily, many will still be kept by vintage taxi enthusiasts. You can even buy and run a Fairway as a family car!

Our beloved Fairway, very popular as a Wedding Taxi

From the mid 1990s, Mercedes broke into the London taxi market with the Mercedes Vito. With room for 6 passengers and two 12v power points, the Vito is popular for executive travel.

The luxurious Mercedes Vito Taxi

In 1997, the TX1 was possibly the biggest single step forward in the history of London Taxis. The design combined the unmistakable silhouette of the traditional taxi with huge advances in usability and refinement.

TX1

In 2002, the TXII emerged onto London streets.

TX11

And finally, in 2006, the TX4 is the latest taxi model to be approved for use as a Licensed London Taxi Cab.

TX4

Zero Emissions Taxis

Intelligent Energy has unveiled a full performance, zero-emissions Fuel Cell Hybrid London taxi.

While the taxi looks and drives like an iconic London black cab, the Fuel Cell Black Cab is powered by an Intelligent Energy hydrogen fuel cell system hybridised with lithium polymer batteries; allowing the vehicle to operate for a full day without the need for refuelling. Capable of achieving a top speed of over 80 mph, it has a range of more than 250 miles on a full tank of hydrogen, refuels in about 5 minutes and produces no emissions other than water vapour.

What’s Next?

A satellite navigated, driverless taxi? Paul Piliste has conceptualized the OPTI, an ecofriendly driverless taxi for London, which could hit the street with sheer style and smartness in 2025.

The future of London taxis: the OPTI

Would you feel safe in one of these driverless taxis? Or would you still prefer the sound of that Cockney voice asking “Where to, mate?”

Book or contact us on-line or phone +44(0)203 00 44 953 www.london-black-taxis.com

Louis Vuitton – Taxi Encounters, London

LBT — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:26:29 +0000

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The video we made with Fat Cat Films and Louis Vuitton has been released.

The video accompanies an article called “Taxi Encounters – London,” which is part of a series of articles about unique taxi experiences in the cities of the world.

The series poses the question “To what point do taxi cabs reflect the cities they frequent?”

“The series opens with perhaps the most sophisticated taxis in the world, the London ‘black cabs’. … “

The link below will take you to the Louis Vuitton site where you can watch the video and see our driver Paul as he launches his new film career!

Taxi Encounters – London

We provide licensed London Black Taxis and drivers for use in all types of production & film work, TV work, photo shoots, advertising, music videos, and promotional videos, including the safe transport of equipment.

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)203 00 44 953
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

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www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)203 00 44 953

London Hackneys Required to Carry Hay

LBT — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:22:00 +0000

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Have you heard that story about London Hackney Carriages (taxis) being required to keep a bale of hay in the boot to feed the horses? Sometimes you will hear it said that this law wasn’t repealed until 1976!

As quaint and quirky as that sounds, it’s all an urban myth, I’m afraid.

This misconception probably comes about because of Section 51 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1831, which made it an offence, punishable by a 20 shilling fine, for the owner or driver of a hackney carriage (or any one else) to:

“feed the horses of or belonging to any hackney carriage in any street, road or common passage, save only with corn out of a bag, or with hay which he shall hold or deliver with his hands”.

So the intention was to prevent messy feeding and keep the London streets clean. It simply required that when a horse was fed in a public place, that it was done with either a bag of corn or with hay out of the hands, i.e. no animal feed on the streets.

In any case, this offence was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976.

Oh well, another urban myth shattered!

But if you need a horse-free taxi ride, give us a call!

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)203 00 44 953
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

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www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)203 00 44 953

Creative Ways to Use a Black Cab

LBT — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:30:24 +0000

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There have been many unusual uses for cabs over the years, from hosting the popular game show Cash Cab to carrying troops during the First World War. Many people think that taking a black cab is just a way of getting from one place to another, they would be wrong. Although this is the primary function of the cabs, they can be used for many more things.

As September rolls by there are many reasons why taking a cab will make your life easier. As graduates leave university and head to London to look for employment they will inevitably get lost in the bowels of the city. Getting to interviews can be stressful as it is and there is no need to make it even more traumatic. By getting a cab you can remove some of the stress. You can arrive at your interview on time feeling relaxed.

Catching a cab might also be a good idea if you are responding to a London classified ad, as the cab driver can wait for you and make sure that you are safe. We already operate a “Meet and Greet” service for anyone who needs a little extra TLC when travelling. So if your child or elderly relative is arriving at the airport, and you can go to meet them, our friendly drivers will be on hand to transport them safely.

We currently offer a Treasure Hunt service, which we think is a really fun way to spend the day. Why not treat your family to an Apprentice style hunt through the capital. It really is a lot of fun. There are many ways that you can enjoy black cabs, they really are more useful than you think.

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)203 00 44 953
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

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www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)203 00 44 953

Tinie Tempah

LBT — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:52:54 +0000

tinie tempah

London Black Taxis has just completed an extended ”Film Production” booking with Quarantine Productions featuring Tinie Tempah filming an advert for Lucozade.
Filming involved two of our licensed London black taxis and took place in and around East London.

Getting away from the cold weather in London

LBT — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:10:55 +0000

Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis Online or phone +44 (0)7779 336 612

Stepping out of the tube station the rain, sleet, snow or some unworldly combination of all three hits your face. Putting up an umbrella is an act of war on these crowded streets and you can forget trying to look at a map, guide book or handy GPS. The confusion sets in and your bemusement grows with each cascade of cold water that finds its way down your shirt. What a person needs now is some kind of transforming machine that will whisk you out of the deepening mess and to your destination of choice with much less ado than a how do you do. In fact what you need now is a London Black Taxi.

While it is admittedly not a science fiction type transporting device, with the driver`s tested, intimate knowledge and the famous manoeuvrability of the cab, you will be amazed at how you can achieve your destination with less fuss and more speed than if you had tried to mission it yourself.

The Black Taxi, or Black Cab as it is commonly known, has been on the London streets since the 1600s. The difference between a Black Cab and other private vehicles, at least officially, is that a Black Cab can solicit for customers while a private vehicle may not. In reality the difference is both technical and historical. The name Hackney cab is said to stem from the name of a village (now a suburb) called Hackney. It is a piece of London history that has even transcended the Atlantic Ocean. Originally horse drawn vehicles would ply the streets looking for customers. This could be done by almost anybody with the means to afford a horse and carriage. In 1654 Parliament decided that these random operators were a nuisance and that they needed regulation. The first licenses date as far back as 1662. Since then these purveyors of convenience and direction have worked the streets of London and have built up a level of street knowledge that has almost become a sense in its own right.

This ability is called “The Knowledge” and in order to be a licensed driver you must pass a test to prove that you know the streets of London better than most people know the streets around where they live. And this is the main reason why everybody, even people who have lived in London their whole lives, catches these cabs. These remarkable drivers in their faithful machines will find an out of the way side street hidden behind a construction site and missing a street name for at least the last 5 years as if they were taking you to a favourite part of their own back garden. Add to this the awareness of every bottleneck, traffic incident or cat stuck up a tree incident that might impede your journey and you will see why the combined forces of driver and machine are far better than legging it yourself or even relying on fancy gizmos to get you where you are going. The fastest way to get out of a cold winters day is to get into a Black London Taxi.

Now that you have arrived safely at your destination you might give some thought to getting out of London for a bit of respite from the winter grey. While a cab cannot take you away from the city, a cab to the airport can take you that much closer. Once you are there the warm world is at your feet and when it comes to nearby winter warmers then Portugal isand has been, the choice of Londoners for many years. The Algarve, especially top resorts like the Tivoli Almansor Hotel with its secluded beach, nearby town and excellent facilities, has been many a final destination for a Londoners Black Taxi ride.
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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)7779 336 612
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

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www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)7779 336 612

Royal Wedding and 2012 London Olympics

LBT — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:35:11 +0000

Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis Online or phone +44 (0)7779 336 612

London Black Taxis is being inundated with enquiries and bookings from the foreign media.
This week alone we have covered bookings for French Production TV regarding the upcoming Royal Wedding . They filmed an in depth interview with Dickie Arbiter, Royal correspondent, on all aspects of William and Kate’s special event.
Plus another booking from ABC News Corp, interviewing one of our licensed London taxi drivers.
ABC News Corp wanted to hear what the word on the street was regarding the Royal Wedding and the 2012 London Olympics.
There is no better way of gauging public opinion than talking to a licensed London black taxi driver.
Everyday thousands of people use London’s black taxis and more often or not voice their opinions on current affairs to their taxi driver.
Both are major events and are certainly good for London’s licensed black taxi business.
Roll on the Royal Wedding and the London Olympics both events will give a much needed and welcome boost to London’s economy.

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)7779 336 612
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

————————————————————

www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)7779 336 612

London Black Taxis – February 2011

LBT — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:25:45 +0000

Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis Online or phone +44 (0)7779 336 612

London Black Taxis has had a difficult but successful trading period during February 2011.
There have been definite signs of the current global recession biting and having a direct impact on UK and international customer bookings.
Having said that our numbers for February 2011 have been good considering the above and we have managed to maintain our high status in the search engines results.
Repeat demand from existing customers has been normal compared to February 2010.
London Black Taxis will continue to do everything in its power to maintain its high quality of service and excellent coverage of customers bookings.
Customers should not be afraid to request fixed price quotations and should definitely take advantage of our 5% discount offered for booking inbound and outbound journeys at the same time.
We would like to thank all of our drivers for their continued high standards of customer care.
Although 2011 will be a difficult year London Black Taxis looks forward to the challenges ahead.

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)7779 336 612
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

————————————————————

www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)7779 336 612

Lost Something?

LBT — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:05:46 +0000

Lost something in a taxi? Contact Transport for London on 0845 330 9882 or online.

Did you leave something in a taxi? What should you do?

If You Booked Through Us

First of all, unless you booked your taxi through us, we cannot really help. We are one of many licensed London taxi companies, and we don’t own all the taxis in London! Of course, if you did book your taxi through us, call or email us right away.

If You Booked Through Another Company

If you booked through another taxi company, call them, of course.

Taxis From the Street or Rank

Unfortunately, if you took your taxi off the street or at a taxi rank, there is no way to track down your driver unless you happened to take note of his or her license number, badge number, or registration numer. (London taxis don’t work like New York taxis where drivers log all their jobs with a central office.)

In this case, contact the Lost Property Office at Transport for London on 0845 330 9882 or online.

When a taxi driver finds property in his or her taxi, they hand it in to a local police station. The police station then forwards it to Tranport for London’s Lost Property Office. Property can take up to seven days to arrive at TfL’s Lost Property Office from the police station.

However, often times the driver may not even be aware that you left something in the back of the taxi. Unfortunately, sometimes the next customer picks up your item and keeps it.

If you left a mobile phone, ring your number. The driver may hear it and answer, and then you can explain the situation.

TFL Lost Property Form

You can use the TfL online lost property form to find out if your property has been found.

Lost Property Office

You can also visit or phone the Lost Property Office:

TfL Lost Property Office
200 Baker Street
London NW1 5RZ

Telephone: 0845 330 9882

Interesting Tidbits

Every year 170,000 items are lost and handed in to Transport for London’s lost property office.

Among the thousands of bags and umbrellas are more unusual items like false teeth, bones and even a puffer fish. Watch this video where TfL’s Jackie McCarthy shows us around.

The Telegraph has this interesting story about the bizarre collection of items that are housed at Transport for London’s lost property office and includes the as yet unclaimed coffin used in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

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To Book one of our Licensed London Black Taxis:

by phone – +44 (0)7779 336 612
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

————————————————————

www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)7779 336 612

Branislav Kapetanovic and the CMC

LBT — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:08:02 +0000

Branislav Kapetanovic

Book a London Black Taxi Online or phone +44 (0)7779 336 612

We were delighted and very proud to be asked by the Cluster Munition Coalition to provide transportation for Branislav Kapetanovic recently. We provided taxi services to and from Heathrow Airport and to various destinations where Bransislav gave talks about his experiences and about the Cluster Munition Coalition.

Branislav Kapetanovic (born 1965) lost both hands and feet when a BLU 97 submunition exploded when he was going to destroy it at an airstrip in Serbia November 9, 2000. Branislav was a deminer working for the Army and cleared thousands of submunitions after the NATO bombing before one of them finally exploded. His greatest wish now is to see cluster munitions banned, and he is now active in the Cluster Munition Coalition.

“Cluster bombs present a greater danger for the civilian population than for the Army or “enemy” installations, they affect wide areas and continue to affect them for many, many years; I don’t expect anybody to be surprised by what happened to me – it was my duty, my job, but the majority of the people in the world being injured by these bombs are innocent civilians, a large percentage of them unknowing children.”

The Cluster Munition Coalition is an international civil society campaign working to eradicate cluster munitions, prevent further casualties from these weapons and put an end for all time to the suffering they cause. The Coalition works through its members to change the policy and practice of governments and organisations towards these aims and raise awareness of the problem amongst the public.

On 1 August, Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) members worldwide took part in coordinated campaign actions to celebrate the historic milestone presented by the entry into force (EIF) of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Globally, events and actions were built around the slogan, “Beat the drum to ban cluster bombs!”

The Convention on Cluster Munitions – the most significant disarmament and humanitarian treaty since the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty – enters into force and becomes fully legally binding on 1 August 2010. From that date forward, states parties must implement all of the treaty’s lifesaving obligations.

Here at London Black Taxis, we greatly admire the work of Branislav Kapetanovic and the CMC and were privileged to be of help in some small way.

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To Book a Licensed London Black Taxi:

by phone – +44 (0)7779 336 612
online – use our booking form
or send us a message with any questions you might have

——————————————-

www.londonblacktaxis.net

+44 (0)7779 336 612