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JNugent[_5_] · October 19th 15, 12:50 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 19/10/2015 10:26, wrote:

(JNugent) wrote:

Only vehicles of a type (ie, make/model) approved by the Public
Carriage office may be licensed as taxis in London.
That rather limits the range of different vehicles which may be
"chosen" by London taxi-proprietors.
Essentially, the choice is between the Carbodies (LTI) taxi, the
Mercedes model referred to above and a similar Peugeot. The PCO
relaxed the rules about the required 24' turning circle (between
kerbs) in order to allow the Merc and the Peugeot to be licensed.
They would not have passed that test.

I thought the Vito had to be a specially modified model with rear wheel
steering in order to pass the test? Or have they since got rid of the
requirement?

There is a London cab driver (with a LTI TX model) living a few doors
away from me. I rely upon him for the information that the 24' (some say
25') turning circle requirement has been relaxed (to 28').

That is confirmed (to the extent that anything ever is) at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditions_of_Fitness