Only licensed taxicabs can pick up passengers on the street. London's Black cabs are particularly famous on account of the specially constructed vehicles and the extensive training course (the Knowledge) required for fully licensed drivers; unlike many other cities, the number of taxicab drivers in London is not limited. London's taxicab drivers are even well-known for having developed an especially big hippocampus, a region of the brain where, among other things, information about locations is stored.

London's black taxicabs - short for "taximeter cabriolets", that is, "cars with distance meters" - are a ubiquitous sight on the streets, and a common way to travel around the city in addition to the Tube and buses. In their favour, they're warm, comfortable and the drivers generally know where they're going, as they have to pass a rigorous test called "the Knowledge" before they can get their license to drive. The downside to the black cabs is that they're expensive, and unless you have very deep pockets there's no point using them for longer journeys across town. This situation has been exacerbated recently by the ex-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone's decision to let them charge more at night, since the drivers would often be reluctant to work at night.

Although the traditional London taxi is black, they now often come in a multitude of colours. Try looking out for their distinctive shape, that said, there are now newer, bigger, boxier models as well. If in doubt, look out for the orange "TAXI" light above the windscreen. If it's on, you can hail the cab. If not, you'll have to wait for another.

The London black cab is an icon of our city. Black cabs are extremely reliable, but rather expensive. The reason for this is because the drivers know so much about London. All drivers have passed "the Knowledge" which means they have studied and memorized 25,000 London streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, proving they know the most direct route for your journey. These studies take about 2-4 years so it's rather like them having a university degree in 'London'.

The legendary black taxis of London seem to have been around forever, though nowadays not all the 23,000 black cabs in greater London are black, and a modernised streamlined version has been added to the "lumpy" old beasts. The bulging roofline of these taxis was originally designed to accommodate the height of bowler hats.

All taxis are wheelchair accessible and most have a variety of additional features to assist passengers. The fares charged are regulated, and with safety paramount all taxi vehicles and drivers must meet minimum standards . Licensed vehicles are subject to regular checks by the Public Carriage Office.

http://www.taxi-london.net/

The Black Cabs' history goes back to the time of horse-drawn cabs which were called Hackney Cabs. The term comes from the French word haquenee referring to the ambling horses used to pull the original Hackney Carriages. The Hackney Carriage originated in London, England in 1625. The cabs still come under some of the old rules from the horse-drawn days. The Black Cabs are the only taxis that are allowed to pick people up from the street. There are also mini cabs in London, however they can only collect someone if they have made a prior arrangement by phone.

Before a taxi driver gets his Hackney Cab Licence he or she must pass a test called 'The Knowledge'. This is a difficult test and requires the cabbie to know the streets of central London like the palm of their hand. Mini cab drivers do not need to pass this test.
The Knowledge

Taxi drivers in London undergo a demanding and arduous testing of their knowledge of the city, its daily traffic patterns and the fastest routes between locations. Estimates suggest that gathering the basic understanding needed to acquire The Knowledge involves a full-time year of study, absorbing the information provided by street maps and travelling around the city itself.

The result is that drivers of official London Hackney Cabs are renowned for their detailed and intimate knowledge of London's streets and attractions. Strangely enough, scientific study has shown that possession and expansion of The Knowledge increases the size of the anterior and posterior hippocampi of the brain - the area that handles spatial memory and spatial navigation.

Compared with baseline controls and inexperienced cabbies, long-serving taxi drivers possessed considerable more developed hippocampi.

The Vehicles

There are currently 3 makes of vehicle licensed to ply for hire in London:

LTI (London Taxis International) - FX4 taxi, Fairway taxi, Fairway Driver taxi, TX1 taxi, TX2 Taxi & TX4 taxi.
Metrocab - Series 1 Metrocab, Series 2 Metrocab, Series 3 Metrocab & TTT Metrocab.
Eco City Vehicles - Mercedes Benz Vito Taxi.
All of these vehicles have to conform to the conditions  of fitness as set out by the PCO (Public Carriage Office).
http://www.taxi-london.net/

London's Hackney Cabs have always been identifiable by their shape and the fact that they have plates on the back and inside the vehicle with a number on it. Plus the driver wears a badge displayed on his/her chest displaying a different number.
The driver is identifiable and the Taxi is identifiable by the licensing authority. That's how it has always been.

Private Hire, Provincial.

Private hire vehicles in the provinces have always had similar plates to London Taxi's, that state that the vehicle is private hire.
The Plate carries a number by which the vehicle is identifiable and comes in a variety of different colours, depending on the licensing authorities preference.

Private Hire In London.

Why has TFL seen fit to issue London's private hire vehicles with paper stickers that are placed on windows, most of which are tinted, which make the license roundel illegible.
Why are they not carrying proper plates on the front and back similar to the provincial private hire vehicles.

Or should we lose the numbers. After all, we are not numbers we are all free men!

http://theandersonshelter.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-do-londons-mini-cabs-have-silly.html

Getting from one place to another in the UK is becoming increasingly difficult. The rail network is not always reliable, the tube is crowded and bus lanes are mired in traffic. Using the taxi and private car hire industry can be a solution to these difficulties. Using a taxi can be easier whether hailing one in the street or pre-booking for a specific journey. If booking early then book a car or taxi well in advance and call to re-confirm a day or two prior to the journey.

Why Use a Taxi Firm?
Taxis and private hire vehicles now offer an invaluable service to those people who need to get to work on time, who prefer not to drive at times or who don?t have a car or can?t drive. Using a taxi or hired car helps avoid using trains, tubes and buses, all of which may come with congestion, difficulties and delays. Many taxi firms allow the setting up of accounts or ongoing arrangements for regular journeys.

There are hundreds of taxi firms that provide transportation services to major airports, including Heathrow, Manchester, and Birmingham Airports, Gatwick Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, Newcastle Airport, Luton Airport, Edinburgh Airport and Aberdeen Airport from a home, hotel or other location. Using a taxi means no worries about traffic delays, parking, or timely arrival. If using a taxi to catch a flight make sure to book a pick-up time well in advance of the check-in time. Taxis also provide transportation between airports for connecting flights. Taking a taxi to the airport is convenient and cost effective.

Alternatively, when on holiday, a car hire firm may be more suitable — especially if there a few days free to explore surroundings, discover hidden sights and visit secluded villages, for example. Many will offer a free service to pick up and drop back at the airport if the car is hired for a week or more. This option allows time to explore at a leisurely pace. Prices start from ?30-?35 per day, depending on the duration of rental and type of vehicle.

How to Choose a Taxi Firm
When hiring a taxi in advance, use one from a reputable firm. Make bookings by phone or have the hotel arrange the hire. There will always be a registered taxi rank inside/just outside airports and train and bus stations. In many cities and towns taxi can be hailed down in the street for short journeys — in others they may have to be picked up at a taxi rank/office. Don?t be tempted to use unlicensed taxis or mini-cabs — especially late at night in pub/club districts — as this can be dangerous.

Care Hire Tips
If hiring a car for a longer journey/longer period then these tips will be useful:
Be sure the taxi or car hire firm carries insurance.
If the vehicle insurance policy is from an EU based insurer (including the UK), it will cover third party insurance in EU countries. But third party cover can be inadequate to cover all costs and it is safer to have more insurance when hiring a car. Check with the insurance company to see that there is adequate cover for the countries involved.
Take photos of the hire car before driving off and make notes on its condition. Before returning the car, take more photos and notes on its condition and sign them. This is valuable evidence should any dispute arise. The hire company should also note the condition of the car on the contract.
If an accident occurs, get a written estimate of the repair costs. Check with the hire company as to what to do next, but a written estimate should help avoid disputes regarding repair costs.
Return the car on time.
Check all paperwork and ask for a copy of the final form. Then no one can change the report or charge extra later. Check the contract thoroughly and ask for explanations of anything that is not clear. Be aware of extra costs like petrol/mileage, child seats and taxes.
Choosing a Taxi Firm Online
There are advantages to choosing a taxi firm online:
Price quotes are provided in advance via e-mail or the website.
No queues.
Ensures dealing with a known taxi firm.
No need to worry about language barriers.
Convenience.
Trade Bodies
There are many trade bodies/associations for taxi and private hire vehicle services including:
The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA)
The London Motor Cab Proprietors' Association (LMCPA). Contact the LMCPA on Tel 020 7275 7589.
The Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA)
The National Private Hire Association (NPHA). Contact the NPHA on Tel 0161 280 2800.
The National Taxi Association
Setting Up a Taxi Account
By using a taxi firm consistently, they will get to know the journeys made regularly by the passengers and any needs they may have. Sometimes discounts are offered for regular use or regular trips. This also saves paying for a taxi as it is used as it will be charged to the account to be settled up later. Make sure to have the contract read thoroughly by an appropriate person in the company to check it is OK. Most importantly, do check that the firm is registered with an appropriate association and that they have full insurance cover. This will save time, hassle, and money.

Consider using a taxi firm or car hire for transportation instead of driving or using trains, the tube or buses. This could save a lot of hassle, time and money in the long run.

We started testing our new on-line quotation and taxi booking system in December 2007 and have since booked over five thousand taxi journeys from a test group of fifteen towns.  We thought we had a great idea when we devised it, but even we could not have predicted just how well it was going to work!
Click-a-Cab is now a fast growing network of independent taxi companies who are working together to build a reputation for outstanding service and reliability. It is our long term goal to become the first nationally recognised taxi brand. Click-a-Cab is already successfully providing profitable work to taxi companies in over 40 towns across the UK.
Put simply we provide approved taxi companies with a Click-a-Cab website for each area taken, complete with online quotation and booking system and our extensive internet promotions package.

We will generate new business for you in three ways.

1. New calls in your area that are put straight through to you. You take the calls, price the job, and convert the booking.  It is your customer to deal with directly.
2.  Email enquiries.  The emails automatically come straight through to you.  Again you price the job, deal with the customer and decide if you want to take the booking.
3.  Online bookings.  Typically, professional people making long distance or airport bookings.  We pass these bookings to you minus 3% Credit Card fee and 2% administration fee.

However, the unique way in which we work means you are not tied to a contract, if you are not happy with the level of business we generate; you can stop the same day.  We are looking for partners that we can trust to provide a high quality of service and not let the customer down.
Our ability to provide a national taxi service is largely due to the taxi companies who are the foundation of the service. As our network grows so will our customer base and with it the levels of business we generate for our partners.
Click-a-cab is a unique opportunity and is only ever available to one Taxi Company in each town.
To find out more and be the only Click-a-Cab partner in your town call  0845 272 3937, email info@click-a-cab.co.uk or visit our website at  www.click-a-cab.co.uk

http://www.taxiheaven.com

† Use of TaxiHeaven.com is completely free; however mobile charges may apply for WAP access
* Subject to mobile network coverage and/or internet access

The First system ever to have the facility to book a Taxi simply by text was Started HERE in February 2005.

AND NOW

Just text "TAXI" and send to 83399 and we will locate you and tell you where we will pick you up from, and all within seconds.

Once implemented and the system becomes well known it will mean that whichever town or city you are in you will always be able to get a Taxi just by texting "TAXI" and sending to 83399 and a local taxi company will pick you up from where you are and you will not need to have local knowledge to tell us where you are.

Another FIRST in the World For Club Taxi's

Combining 35 years of taxi industry knowledge from the Davy Liver Taxi Group (Regional Finalists in the National Business Awards 2005 - Best Use of Technology), with the cutting edge programming skills of Connect Internet Solutions, we have developed a range of services that suit the requirements of both the business taxi user and the cash paying general public.

We also offer you the opportunity to REGISTER FOR FREE with any taxi firm on the database enabling you to set up your own personalised internet and text message booking facility including access to our priority service. Find out more.

CABFIND SERVICES

Book a taxi (Online)

You may use our national taxi firm database to book a taxi anywhere in the UK. The listed taxi firms have all been chosen for their excellent service and our "real time" internet booking facility allows you to both book taxis in advance and taxis to arrive straight away. Find out more.

Book a taxi (Text Message)

CabFind members may book taxis by text message to the taxi firm with which you have registered. You have the choice of either free-typing your chosen pick up address or to save time you may preset your own list of favourite addresses with a shortname such as "home", and the next time you require a taxi to pick you up at one of these addresses simply type in "taxi" followed by the shortname and send it to 81810. (i.e. taxi home ). Find out more.

Priority Service (Online & Text Message)

Registered members may jump the queue at a taxi firm's busy times by taking advantage of our priority service. When booking online simply tick on the priority service option when it shows and when booking by text message simply prefix your booking with "VIP". (i.e. vip home) Find out more.

CabFind Accounts (Online)

CabFind offers the business user an online taxi management system that both books and records taxi usage. Popular with both public sector taxi users such as the NHS and local authorities, AND private sector blue chip taxi users, CabFind is recognised as being particularly useful for monitoring taxi spend by different cost centres. Find out more.

CabFind Taxi Directory (Text)

If you are going into a town or city where you do not know a good reputable taxi firm, all you need to do is text CABFIND+TOWN and send to 81810 (i.e. CABFIND LEEDS) and a list of taxi firms within Leeds will be sent to your mobile phone for you to book a taxi with, either by text or by phone. Find out more

https://www.cabfind.com/