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The London Taxis |
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THE LONDON TAXIS Taxis provide the most crucial link in London’ transport network and are highly popular with the tourists. The London taxis may be broadly divided into two categories – the legendary black cabs and the not so famous mini cabs. The Black Cabs The ‘London Black Cabs’ are renowned for providing the best taxi service in the world. Though popularly known as ‘Black Cabs’ not all the cabs are black; the modern ones come in all colors, some with flashy advertisements written all over. They are the only taxis allowed by Public Carriage Office (PCO) to solicit business in London. You can telephone for one or hail it in the street or find one in a rank, generally near airports, railway stations or big hotels. To hire one, stand on the pavement and look for a cab with the flashing yellow ‘For Hire’ sign on top, look at the driver and raise your hand into the air. If the driver sees you, s/he will draw up the cab beside you. Tell the driver where you want to go and then get in. The black cab is not obliged to take you anywhere you wish to go unless it is on a taxi rank or stops for you voluntarily in which case it should take you up to six miles (10 kms) within London city. They are air-conditioned and luxuriously appointed with space for around five passengers and luggage. Most of them have wheel chair and child seat access too. The black cab driver is the most reliable one as s/he goes through the most rigorous ‘Knowledge Test’ before obtaining the license, which is actually a tin badge. The driver is required to have comprehensive knowledge of London. They need to memorize every street, the whereabouts of all places of tourist interest and hotels, churches, hospitals, theaters, bus/train stations etc. The testing process includes examining the character and background of the driver. It’s around a four-year process. The successful candidate can buy a cab after obtaining the license. Generally the driver is self-employed and can choose the working hours. Radio Taxi (020-7272-0272) and Dial-a-Cab (020-7253-5000) are two dispatchers for black cabs. The drivers are so efficient that you seldom need to give them directions. Once the journey is over, you should pay the driver through his/her side of the window, not from inside the cab. The Mini Cabs The mini cabs are the popular alternative to the traditional black cab. The name ‘mini’ is actually a misnomer and you’ll find them much bigger than the black cabs with a seating capacity of 4-7 passengers. They are comparatively cheaper but, unlike the black cabs, they are not licensed, nor are the drivers required to go through any test in their knowledge of the city. The mini cabs are unmarked and are not allowed to ply for business; you cannot hail them in the street either. You have to hire them only through a Licensed Private Hire Operator by telephone or by going to their office or through the Internet. They are even listed on Yellow pages. Though they cannot solicit business, minicabs can roam the city looking for passengers. You’ll find them roaming about, looking for business, especially in the early mornings. No matter how low the price is ignoring the mini cab driver that approaches you and offers services. The driver is acting illegally and more often than not unlicensed and uninsured. Women are particularly advised to avoid mini cabs. Addison Lee (020 7387 8888) is the biggest name in mini cabs and claims to pick you up anywhere in London. Beware of Gypsy Cabs Gypsy cabs are the unmarked vehicles, which try to pass off as legitimate minicabs. But they are unlicensed, uninsured and unsafe. They are mostly seen in Central London. Tourists are the fair game for them; so you should watch out for them in major tourist areas like Leicester Square, Soho, Theatreland and the clubs and pubs in and around The London taxis. Don’t be tempted by their low prices. There have been many reports of attacks by drivers on women traveling in unlicensed gypsy cabs. If you want a taxi either hail a black cab or phone for a licensed minicab. Lady Specials Women traveling alone are advised to be extra careful. If they want they can call for taxis run exclusively by women for women. Lady Cabs (+44 020 7272 3300), My Fair Lady, Pink Cars are some popular all lady minicab services. They are very safe for tourists especially late at night. They also run regular school, shopping, airport/rail/bus station trips etc. Fares Without any doubt black cabs are very expensive, not because the drivers can charge anything they like arbitrarily. A black cab runs strictly on the meter, which starts ticking as soon as the driver accepts your journey. There’s a minimum fare of £2.20, which increases by 20p after every 219 meters. Higher fares are charged in the night – with a 60p surcharge after eight and 90p after midnight – during weekends, Christmas and New Year time. Within Greater London, fare would depend on the time of the day, distance traveled and the speed of the taxi. Depending on the time of the day, the meter automatically charges additional fares if at any part of the journey the speed drops below 10.4 mph. Some of them accept credit and debit cards, too, but you’ll have to pay a surcharge between 10-15%. Booking through telephone costs more. You have to pay ‘soiling’ charges of up to £40 if the cab is withdrawn from service for cleaning because of you. It is customary to give a tip of 10-15% of the fare. Minicabs are a cheaper alternative, particularly at night and during weekends. But the problem is that they don’t operate on meter; they charge by mile and the fare might vary between £1-1.50 per mile. You have to negotiate the price before getting into the cab. Experts advise that you should call up various offices and compare their prices before finalizing a service. Also, you should confirm the price when the driver arrives with taxi. Without saying, exclusive women cabs charge very high fares. Gypsy cabs are the cheapest but also most unsafe. Lost Property In case you forget any property in the black cab, it’ll be handed over by the driver to the metropolitan police station. Within 7-14 days, the police station will send it to the Lost Property Office (LPO). You can enquire through a web enquiry form and after seven days you can call up the LPO on 020-79182000 between 9.00 and 16.00 during weekdays. You can even go in person to the office at Baker Street, London NW1. If the property is found, it’ll be returned to you on payment of restoration fees. In case of items lost in mini cabs, you should contact the office from which the taxi was hired. There’s no point in looking for lost property in gypsy cabs since they are not registered with anybody Complaints The London taxis service is known for its high quality standards. So, the PCO takes complaints about taxis very seriously. If you have a valid cause to complaint against a cab or its driver, you can write or e-mail to the special team, which investigates such matters. Enquiry process may take around six weeks to complete after which you’ll be informed of the outcome. Depending on the severity of the matter, the action may range from serious warning to suspension/cancellation of license.
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