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Old October 21st 04, 11:36 AM posted to uk.transport.london
Dan Gravell Dan Gravell is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Apr 2004
Posts: 49
Default Livingstone's latest wheeze

My thoughts...

1) Taxis will become significantly slower than minicabs, and so will become
a distress purchase for people who can't get a minicab. People will prefer
any minicab, even an illegal one, to a taxi.


I think the general trend is to fit these things to all cars in London,
or at least that's what I read.

2) Car drivers will do everything they can to prevent taxis pulling out in
front of them, so that they won't be held up. This will make taxis even
slower with respect to minicabs.


"Car drivers" shouldn't be driving in London, and even if they
absolutely have to, they shouldn't be driving fast in London. If they
have a problem with it, I suggest they get on a sensible form of
transport. If they intend to drive dangerously, I suggest they are
stopped from driving.

3) Taxi drivers will earn less money, because there will be less demand for
them, and they will take longer to do the jobs that they get but won't get
any extra money for them. Minicab drivers will earn more money, because
there will be more demand for minicabs.


That's capitalism for you. But then as I said above, the trend is to fit
them to all cars, so this competitive advantage is unlikely to continue.

4) Although taxis will probably survive in Central London, they will cease
to exist in the suburbs, because there will be no point in spending a year
or more doing the suburban knowledge and buying or hiring an expensive
wheelchair-accessible vehicle if you can earn more money as a minicab
driver.


As far as I am concerned no taxi drivers want to take me home anyway, so
why should I care for their demise? Minicab drivers have always treated
me with far more respect. I cannot afford to live in Central London
although would love to, so I have to live in the suburbs and commute in.

5) The decimation of the suburban taxi trade and growth of the minicab trade
will mean that the disabled won't be able to get around at all.


This is a fair concern.

Dan