Taxi Driver Online

New-look cabs from Glasgow poised to enter city

THE face of Edinburgh’s black cab fleet is set to change forever with dozens of new-look seven-seater taxis about to hit the streets.

Glasgow-based manufacturer Allied Vehicles has won a battle to end an English firm’s stranglehold on the Capital’s taxi trade.

Allied had threatened city chiefs with legal action after claiming Edinburgh was the only authority outside of London refusing to license the company’s cabs.

But councillors have now recommended that Allied’s wheelchair-friendly Peugeot E7 taxi , which is customised in Glasgow from a people carrier, be permitted to operate in the Capital.

The regulatory committee’s decision - which must now be approved by the council’s Labour executive - will end the market dominance of Manganese Bronze, maker of the world-famous black cab.

It also marks a major victory for Allied Vehicles in its bid to break into Edinburgh, which has a strict black-cab licensing system similar to that in London.

But the local authority was today accused by a taxi trade lobby group of "double standards" for refusing to relax the regulations for another make of cab.

One of Britain’s best-selling taxis, the E7 is capable of seating up to seven passengers and designed to be accessible for wheelchair users. It has been passed by more than 250 UK council licensing authorities. However, it is expected the E7 taxis would only be given a licence to carry six passengers if they receive permission to operate in the Capital.

Allied Vehicles officials today claimed almost 50 Edinburgh cab drivers had expressed interest in driving its taxis. The majority of the city’s 1200 cabs are made by LTI Manganese Bronze, with the remainder manufactured by Metrocab. But with a price tag of around £21,900, the E7 cabs are understood to be more than £6000 cheaper than conventional black cabs.

Councillor Chris Wigglesworth, vice-convener of the regulatory committee, said politicians had recommended the council executive allow the E7 to be licensed.

But he added a report would also go to the committee next month covering how conditions such as a 25-foot turning circle could be relaxed to allow the cab to operate on Edinburgh’s narrow streets.

"We feel there is wide support for this," Cllr Wigglesworth said. "It will give people greater choice. Disabled groups like the E7."

Gerry Facenna, managing director of Allied, said: "We are delighted the council has approved it for the next stage. We are a 100 per cent Scottish company and would be delighted to fly our flag in Scotland’s capital."

But a leading taxi trade lobby group today hit out at the move. Keith Bell, chairman of CABforce, said the same committee refused to relax regulations to allow ageing Fairway cabs to remain in service beyond next year.

Edinburgh City Council has told owners of taxis with doors hinged at the back that they will no longer be allowed to operate after January because they do not comply with European Union regulations.

"We applied on behalf of our members to have the conditions altered to use Fairway taxis," Mr Bell said. "It is a different set of rules for us. They did not want to relax the conditions for us, but they are quite happy to change the conditions for [Allied]. It is a double standard."

Lothian and Borders Police told the committee the step height of the E7 was 10cm higher than conditions allowed without electronic retractable steps in place.

Tory councillor Michael Dixon, a member of the regulatory committee who voted against the move, added: "The conditions were only adopted as recently as 2002 and there is now a danger that this decision sends out a message that the regulations are moveable.

"I was sympathetic to the manufacturer’s arguments that they were introducing competition. However, I was much more uncomfortable that the committee was being asked to compromise the conditions of fitness for taxis."

Wot is the mattere with these people?
If they want to spend 10 grand more than they have to, then they can.
But if they don't want or need to. Then why should they?

cgull,
its simple, it creates a barrier to entering the trade, keeps the number of cabs down

LTI will be winding them up in the background the end of the world is nigh.

As Mr Yorkie says, it has nothing to do with the quality of the vehicle, but everything to do with keeping some, out of the trade.

I'm still not convinced with the quality of the E7, but Cab-Direct have saved drivers thousands of pounds in cheaper vehicles, and thousands of pounds in better MPG.

But as you allude too, if you don't like the E7, and do like the TX, well then buy the TX. But don't stop others buying the E7, if they wish to.

_________________
IDFIMH

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, better get some replacement handles sent up to scotland

But you must be able to get a few for £10,000.

Alex

_________________
ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Yes Alex,you can buy a few for ten thousand pounds,now you can,but up until last week,there was none in the country.Interface/Lock mechanism.
I had customer and at one point a driver trapped in the back,due to this problem.
Eventually Emailed Peugeot direct,but usual waffle,then Cab Direct received the part.
Three to four weeks joeying door handles,not good enough.
Health and safety would have a field day.
Do not have a problem with the way the vehicle runs,but once you have a problem,my god to rectify with the dealers,mega problems.
Cab Direct will give you quite a good service,but hey who has the time to travel a few hundred miles to get the problem resolved.
Money lost if you do,money lost if you do not.

I hope you had the meter on.

I think Cab-direct should look over the pond.

Taken from the New York Post

Disabled New Yorkers called on the city yesterday to provide more wheelchair-accessible taxis than the five yellow cabs - out of a fleet of 12,187 - now on the streets.

"New Yorkers think of taxis as part of our basic transportation system," said Terence Moakley, of the United Spinal Association, who has been in a wheelchair for 36 years. Moakley and half a dozen other wheelchair users staged a "roll-in" at the taxi stand in front of Penn Station to show that they couldn't get into any of the cabs there.

The city sold 174 taxi medallions last week in an auction that was part of a plan to expand the cab fleet by 900 in the next three years.

The disabled advocates, calling themselves the Taxis For All Campaign, are supporting a bill introduced in the City Council that would require a gradual conversion to accessible taxis as the current fleet wears out.

The sedans that make up most of the taxi fleet can't be made accessible, but minivans can be made with wheelchair ramps or retrofitted to add them.

Make them do a Dundee,open list for Wavs,that would put the cat amongst the pigeons.
I volunteer to be the cab direct salesman.
$2,000 per week salary,minimum stay one year,full board in the Astoria.

Dandy Dude.