In message ,
Martin Underwood writes
Thanks for this very detailed and informative answer.



The turning circle of TX1 black cabs is incredibly small - makes me wonder
why all cars of an equivalent size aren't designed with similar turning
circles. Are they front or rear wheel drive?

Rear wheel drive with 'old fashioned' steering boxes to get the 25ft
turning circle. It's one of the parts that the vehicle examiners look
very closely at - any wear and the vehicle is failed.

If they are FWD, the universal
joints in the drive-shafts must take some hammering when the taxi is on full
lock. I was caught out by a taxi's turning circle the other day: I was
passing a taxi rank and a taxi signalled to pull away, so I flashed him to
let him out, expecting him to move into the space ahead of me; instead he
did a U turn in front in me - quite legally, but I wasn't expecting it
(there was no way he'd have been able to do so in an ordinary car) and I had
to brake because he then blocked the road until the traffic in the other
direction let him in.

They must have an approved meter which is sealed by the PCO. They have
the right to 'ply for hire' (with a lighted sign on the roof) either on
the street or at authorised taxi ranks. The driver must have been police
(now CRB) checked, medically fit, of good character and have passed the
'knowledge' of London which takes on average 3 years.[1]

Do any other cities require their licensed taxi drivers to display a similar
level of 'knowledge'? I suppose the real skill comes when you know the
sensible diversionary routes between any two places as well as just the
shortest one so you can avoid traffic hold-ups. I remember when I saw Jack
Rosenthal's "The Knowledge" being surprised at how large an area was
included - not just central London.

There are many licensing areas that require a knowledge test. Brighton &
Hove requires you to give the start and finish roads of any road the
examiner asks. Pass mark is 67% out of 60+ questions.


As shown on many of the indecent assault or rape cases featured on
Crimewatch: many of them involve(d) young women getting into unlicensed
minicabs - or even private cars that they *think* are minicabs.

If only they'd heed the warning but of course it won't happen to them !


I hadn't realised that minicabs and taxis charged different rates: I assumed
that they were required to charge the same.

Taxis are highly regulated. Until recently minicabs had no regulation.
Even now there is no regulation of the fares that they charge.

Private Hire vehicles in London are identified by a yellow disc with a
diamond shaped licence which is displayed on the front and rear window
of the vehicle. (too small to be read unless you're standing less than 2
ft from the vehicle). They cannot ply for hire and *must* be pre-booked.
Many still pick up from the streets, and in these cases their insurance
immediately becomes invalid, no matter if they have one which covers
'for hire and reward' as the insurance is only valid for pre-booked
jobs.

I've always wondered why the pre-booked-only rule applies. Is it to avoid
minicabs taking away business from taxis or is there another reason?

Not to avoid them taking the business, but the theory is that, being pre
booked they have time to look up the start and finish of a job before
they get there so do not need the same level of knowledge that a taxi
requires.

Strangely enough, although all London taxi *have* to be wheelchair
accessible, minicabs do no have to be.

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England