"Recliner" wrote in message
...
wrote:
In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

On Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:04 +0100, John Ray wrote:

On Sun, 31 Mar 2013 14:33:49 -0500, Recliner
wrote:

eastender wrote:
On 2013-03-31 16:44:17 +0000, John Ray said:

How are nowadays the taxi fares? Still the same? Thank you
The fare tables can be found he
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/...axis/1140.aspx

The fares guide is rather optimistically low - in recent trips I've
paid about £8 more than than the 'max' £21 4 mile/30 min trip to and
from the eastern edge of N1 to W1 (Green Park area). £30 when you add
in tips.

Yes, the fares today seem very expensive. Mini cabs are much cheaper,
but do have to be pre-booked (or at least phoned for, rather than
hailed on the street).

For short distances a black cab can be cheaper than a minicab. My
local minicab company has a minimum fare of £4, whereas the black cab
minimum is £2.40.

How far would you get for £2.40 in a black cab, or even £4?

It's £2.40 for the first 259.8 metres or 55.8 seconds (whichever is
reached
first) according to the TfL web site. Then:

For each additional 129.9 metres or 27.9 seconds (whichever is reached
first), or part thereof, if the fare is less than £17.00 then there is a
charge of 20p

Once the fare is £17.00 or greater then there is a charge of 20p for each
additional 91.1 metres or 19.6 seconds (whichever is reached first), or
part
thereof

See
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/...fares/4870.asp
x.

So, roughly speaking, the £4 minicab minimum would get you about a mile in
a black cab? I assume a minicab would take you about twice as far. As for
the £2.40 black cab minimum, it would probably take you less than three
minutes walk, so hardly worth hailing a taxi for anyone who's not
disabled.

£4 will buy 1299 metres in a black cab - just over 3/4 mile (works out to
3.25 laps of an athletics track, where a mile race is 4 laps.)

That assumes the cheapest rate 1, which is weekday daytime and early
evening. Mon-Fri evening and weekend daytime would get you 1054 metres -
2.64 laps. The highest rate 3 - late night and public holidays - 850
metres, and we are down to 2.13 laps.

So yes - unless special circumstances apply (unable to walk much distance,
pouring with rain, no coat and can't wait, masses of luggage) - unlikely to
be used by most people. (And I did check - no extra for luggage!)

James