Taxi Driver Online

I can't see the need for the turning circle, when you do the london knowledge you can't do u turn's anyway!!
There are 1000's of cab's all over the country doing the job in normal car's .
What I will say in favour of the TX's are that they are built to do the job. Private car's are built to be private car's!!.
Addisson lee use the fiat and it get's the job done, but they don't lasy as long as TX's.

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stressed controller!!!

Yes, and it's worth recalling what Addisson Lee said recently:

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Choice is the doing word here? It is up to each individual person as to what vehicle they buy. LTI are not being excluded from the market the only thing that is being removed is the turning circle requirement. I might add that the turning circle is not a requirement in the majority of licensed authorities in the UK.

Removing the turning circle requirement may be of some concern to LTI but it is not a concern for those owners who have a limited choice over which vehicle they can license.

I am glad choice is coming to Leicester and whats more it won't make one iota of difference what LTI say in their response to the Leicester committee and that pleases me even more.

Regards

JD

I think the OFT were right. This isn't about the turning circle, it's about LTI protecting their market using the only unique selling point they have.

But their USP doesn't add up to a can of worms.

If owners want to retain the turning circle, they can. All they have to do is buy an LTI product.

If this is of no real consequence then they can opt for a competitor offering.

That's how a free market operates. This is how competition is injected into a market. Even if you want to keep the turning circle, you still benefit from LTI being forced to sell the product cheaper to retain its market share and stay in business.

However, LTI would prefer not to have to compete. They'd rather the cartel delivered guaranteed business, and juicier profits, through vehicle restriction.

Drivers have to pay more. Customers have to pay more. But that's OK, isn't it? Just as long as LTI make money?

Time for change guys ....

Taken from the FT.

London cabs for cities in Pakistan

By James Mackintosh in Pontedera and Farhan Bokhari in, Islamabad
Published: June 10 2006 03:00 | Last updated: June 10 2006 03:00

London's black cabs could soon be jostling for passengers and road space with rickshaws in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad if talks between maker Manganese Bronze and a local consortium on sales and manufacturing in the country progress.

The discussions "which have been under way for some time" could herald the first overseas production of black cabs, produced by Manganese Bronze subsidiary London Taxis International. LTI became the biggest British-owned carmaker when Rover collapsed last year.
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Leicester City council has completed their long awaited review of hackney carriage vehicle policy and as predicted by myself several months ago are now ready to stick the boot into LTI.

London Taxis International the company that goes to great lengths in order to convince councillors that they should only license vehicles to PCO standards are about to get their day of reckoning in September.

Next month Leicester will change their licensing policy, which will effectively remove the 25ft, turning circle requirement allowing different types of vehicles to ply for hire.

The predominant colour will be black and bear the Council crest, however this particular colour scheme will be a body blow to Swift Taxis who have a fleet of Yellow cabs. It was approximately twelve months ago that Swift joined forces with LTI in a misguided attempt to try and stop Leicester City council from licensing other types of vehicles.

Swift was hoping LTI might somehow prevail in maintaining the status quo, which in turn may have allowed Swift to retain its familiar colour Yellow? I don't know how Swift came to that conclusion but at the time it was obvious that Swift were desperate to explore any avenue of opportunity.

The council is now limbering up to put the final nail in Swift's Yellow coffin but although Swift is effectively isolated they could still challenge the decision of the council in respect of the colour and crest. Was it not relatively recently that Stockport were successful in exactly the same circumstances and Durham also prevailed in their legal challenge. I can see this Yellow Taxi saga running for some considerable time but as usual no matter how long it takes you will get the news first, here on TDO.

Overall it's great news for those in Leicester who advocate vehicle choice and I look forward to many more councils following in the footsteps of both Leicester and Edinburgh.

http://www.leicester.gov.uk/newssite/in ... ?pgid=7384

Regards

JD

Nah Jimbo FIAT stands for Fix It Again Tomorrow.

B. Lucky

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