Taxi Driver Online

Edinburgh cabbie clocks one million miles in ‘incredible taxi’

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... -1-4882502

A PROUD Capital cabbie has praised his car’s astronomical effort as it closes in on one million miles - the equivalent to the moon and back, twice.

Albert Smith snapped up the Coventry-built LTI TX1 in 2001 expecting it to serve him well for three or four years.

But nearly two decades later and the £23,500 motor is still going strong on the city’s streets.

“I never expected it to last this long,” said Albert, 57, from Tranent. “It’s incredible really.”

Father-of-three bought the cab from a Birmingham dealer, the last model to stick with a reliable Nissan engine.

“It’s obviously had a lot of parts, including a new gearbox but it’s the same engine and rear axle.

“It needs a bit of oil every so often but not as much as you’d think for that kind of mileage. It keeps going pretty well.”

Stars shuttled around town in the back of Albert’s cab include comedian Sir Billy Connolly and The Man from U.N.C.L.E star Robert Vaughn.

“I saw Billy walking towards me with his long hair and I though ‘I know him,’ said Albert.

The Big Yin hailed Albert for the short hop from Castle Terrace to the Balmoral Hotel with wife Pamela Stephenson.

“Robert Vaughn was doing a Q&A at the festival and I picked up him and his wife and took them to the Sheraton.


With Robert Vaughn (Image: Edinburgh Evening News)

“She was more chatty than him but he was probably all talked out after his show. It was four of five years ago and he must’ve been in his 80s at the time so unbelievable to be still doing shows.”

But the job is not all glamour.

“I’ve cleaned up every bodily fluid that can come out of a body,” explained Albert.

And the secret to his cab’s longevity is looking after it with some TLC, said Albert.

“I was a motor mechanic before going on the taxis so I know to get a regular service. There’s things I can see and hear before they go wrong.

“Some drivers go over double the mileage for their service schedule but I know to get it serviced every 9,000 miles.”

A cabbie for 32 years, Albert, who shares the car with fellow driver and wife Julie, has no plans on retirement, hoping to notch up another ten years at least.


Albert and Julie Smith (Image: Neil Hanna/Edinburgh Evening News)

But his TX1’s days look finally numbered as he looks to trade her in for a more eco-friendly model.

“I’ll change it this year because of the council’s emissions targets. Every day is different.

“Obviously you’re going to the same areas but every picture you see is different - I think that’s what keeps you going, the variety.”

Tony Kenmuir, chairman of the Central Taxis cooperative that Albert drives for said “He’s a credit to the company and so is his taxi.”

“Every year he takes it to the Taxi Examination Centre and it’ll look like he’s driving it out of the dealers.

“It’s a complete test, not just like an MOT - if you’ve got a tear in the sea you’ll fail.

“It’ll be tests every year and serviced every other month to make sure it’s fit for purpose.

“Obviously we do miles and miles and there’s a saying in the trade that a cab isn’t run in until it’s done a couple of hundred thousand miles - but this is exceptional.”

I wonder how much paint/metal will remain when/if he pulls that wrap off ????

weren't these the ones that had the fire problem ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

My thoughts are of Trigger's broom.

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IDFIMH

I think that was the early TX4.

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Grandad,

LTI had to retrofit the early ones with an automatic fire suppression system under the bonnet.

Can't see it affecting the value much though - scrap?

Anyway, here's another couple of photos from another website showing the full wrap


Image: Neil Hanna/Edinburgh Evening News/SWNS/Daily Record


Image: SWNS/Daily Record

I take there's no age limits in Edinburgh then ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Don't think so. But while I don't have hard numbers, and it's a while since I've paid too much attention, think that historically the Edinburgh fleet has been relatively young overall, at least by black cab standards.

Anyway, as regards the fire issue, a black cab went ablaze in Oxford recently, and it looks like a TX, although no indication of its age (but since it's Oxford chances are that it'll be quite old).

There's a video, but it doesn't show too much other than the fact that it was a fair old blaze.

And is that another HC driving along the pavement with pedestrians on it, and against the traffic? Amazed no one calling for his head

Taxi on fire on Banbury Road, Oxford

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17486 ... bury-road/

Watch a taxi engulfed in flames last night on Banbury Road, Oxford.

A man who has asked not to be named said he knows the driver of the car and that he escaped and was not harmed.

He said the fire could have started due to an electrical issue that the car was experiencing earlier on.

The man from Oxford said: "Two fire engines had to extinguish the flames and an ambulance and the police were at the scene. It makes me question how safe these black taxis are."

Luckily there were no passengers in the car.

The man said: "The car had been maintained often so I'm surprised this has happened."

A reader sent a this video showing the taxi in a ball of fire.

Motorists and people passed by in confusion.