The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

On 22/10/2012 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

I'm sure the Mayor will have something to say on this - why does the
phrase 'Boris Taxi' whirl around my head?!

Meanwhile...
http://uk.autoblog.com/2012/10/17/new-nissan-taxi-caught-testing-in-london/

On 22/10/2012 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

From the Wikipedia entry for Manganese Bronze (aka LTI), this
(unreferenced) para:

---quote---
On 12 October 2012 the London Taxi Company announced the recall of some
four hundred TX4 models delivered since late February 2012 owing to two
incidents involving a loss of power steering. For reasons not yet fully
understood by the Company a hydraulic line had on the affected cabs
become detached at the steering box resulting in a partial loss of power
steering. As the cause/circumstances of the failure is yet to fully
understood, and a remedy made available, no new cabs can be sold.
---/quote---


The final straw, perhaps.

On Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:28:12 +0100, Mizter T wrote:

On 22/10/2012 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

From the Wikipedia entry for Manganese Bronze (aka LTI), this
(unreferenced) para:

---quote---
On 12 October 2012 the London Taxi Company announced the recall of some
four hundred TX4 models delivered since late February 2012 owing to two
incidents involving a loss of power steering. For reasons not yet fully
understood by the Company a hydraulic line had on the affected cabs
become detached at the steering box resulting in a partial loss of power
steering. As the cause/circumstances of the failure is yet to fully
understood, and a remedy made available, no new cabs can be sold.
---/quote---

I suspect, having seen earlier reports relating to this story, that
someone in china has used a cheaper alternative component to something
specified in the steering system, or the manufacturer of a part has used
a cheaper production method or material, and whichever it was, it's
buggered the steering.

Found at http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/m...ticle-2216982/
Manganese-Bronze-shares-frozen-vehicle-recall.html
or: http://tinyurl.com/986qy3w

"Manganese recalled 400 TX4 Hackney carriages, after two cabbies found
themselves unable to steer properly due to a faulty part made in China."

Also, at https://cabtradenews.wordpress.com/t...ng-box-recall/ or:
http://tinyurl.com/9a6pfxk

"The steering box is a new design from a new supplier that was introduced
in production at the Coventry factory in late February 2012."

There's also some info at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/
oct/12/400-london-taxis-recalled-safety or: http://tinyurl.com/9hcbbeb

"Coventry-based company - which manufactures the cabs in China"

"a circlip, which holds hydraulic fluid pipes in place, had either fallen
off or been damaged."

"the company had recently contracted a new Chinese company to supply its
steering box."

Rgds

Denis McMahon

On Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:52:36 +0000 (UTC)
Denis McMahon wrote:
I suspect, having seen earlier reports relating to this story, that
someone in china has used a cheaper alternative component to something
specified in the steering system, or the manufacturer of a part has used
a cheaper production method or material, and whichever it was, it's
buggered the steering.

Another load of hopeless british management discover the hard way that cost
cutting without testing first is not a good long term solution.

"a circlip, which holds hydraulic fluid pipes in place, had either fallen
off or been damaged."

"the company had recently contracted a new Chinese company to supply its
steering box."

I wouldn't want to be the one to try and recover compensation from a
company in china, but surely in theory they have a case against the parts
manufacturer?

B2003

Mizter T wrote:


On 22/10/2012 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

From the Wikipedia entry for Manganese Bronze (aka LTI), this
(unreferenced) para:

---quote---
On 12 October 2012 the London Taxi Company announced the recall of some
four hundred TX4 models delivered since late February 2012 owing to two
incidents involving a loss of power steering. For reasons not yet fully
understood by the Company a hydraulic line had on the affected cabs
become detached at the steering box resulting in a partial loss of power
steering. As the cause/circumstances of the failure is yet to fully
understood, and a remedy made available, no new cabs can be sold.
---/quote---


The final straw, perhaps.


Yes, that seems to be the case. However, the company has not appeared
stable since the part-takeover by Chinese manufacturer Geely.

On 2012\10\22 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x


No doubt Addison Lee's retiring boss will tell his drivers that if they
can write off one of the existing taxi fleet, he will pay their fines...

Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\10\22 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x


No doubt Addison Lee's retiring boss will tell his drivers that if they
can write off one of the existing taxi fleet, he will pay their fines...


The LTI cabs are built like Army trucks. I have a feeling that it
would take more than one of Addison Lee's vehicles to write one off.

On 2012\10\23 00:42, Bruce wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\10\22 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x


No doubt Addison Lee's retiring boss will tell his drivers that if they
can write off one of the existing taxi fleet, he will pay their fines...


The LTI cabs are built like Army trucks.

Wasn't it you who showed me up last time I said that? You poured scorn
on the ladder chassis IIRC.

I have a feeling that it
would take more than one of Addison Lee's vehicles to write one off.

They have dozens of the things unused in their Granby Terrace yard,
allegedly because they are haemorrhaging drivers since Hailo started
eating Addison Lee's lunch.

Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\10\23 00:42, Bruce wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\10\22 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x


No doubt Addison Lee's retiring boss will tell his drivers that if they
can write off one of the existing taxi fleet, he will pay their fines...


The LTI cabs are built like Army trucks.

Wasn't it you who showed me up last time I said that? You poured scorn
on the ladder chassis IIRC.


I did, but weren't we discussing survivability of the occupants in an
accident?

In which case, give me a modern design any time, with progressive
crumple zones front and rear and a rigid safety cell for the
passengers rather than a primitive army truck with a ladder chassis.
In a contest between the two, I would far rather step out of the rigid
safety cell of a car-based design that looks wrecked (but which saved
my life) than be carried on a stretcher from a truck that looks
relatively undamaged but transferred much more of the energy of a
collision to its occupants.

One of the car programmes on television (can't recall which) tested a
1980s Volvo against a 2010s Renault Modus in an offset head-on
collision. Survivability was far better in the lightweight Modus,
which looked severely damaged, then in the Volvo. The
state-of-the-art design of the Renault meant that its crumple zones
absorbed most of the energy of the collision leaving the rigid
passenger safety cell intact.


I have a feeling that it
would take more than one of Addison Lee's vehicles to write one off.

They have dozens of the things unused in their Granby Terrace yard,
allegedly because they are haemorrhaging drivers since Hailo started
eating Addison Lee's lunch.


The trouble with Addison Lee's business model is that it is there for
everyone to see, to emulate, to copy or improve on. It's dog eat dog
out there.