They’re reliable, comfortable, with smart, friendly drivers – they offer an excellent service. What’s more, their tariff is about 20% lower than black cabs.
There’s just one problem with Addison Lee. They aren’t allowed to compete with black cabs. They can’t ply for business on the public highway. That allows over-priced black cabs to continue running a protectionist racket.
In bridging, everyone’s talking about regulation at the moment. Here at West One we’re currently applying for regulated permission. But regulation’s not necessarily the all-purpose solution to every problem that any industry might face.
This has never been more obvious than with London’s legendary taxis. Our cab drivers are getting grumpier than ever.
They sit in shorts and a vest, talking on the phone, and if you recommend a route, they act like you’ve questioned their parentage. They’re the most expensive cabs in the world, but the service passengers get is pitiful. It’s not surprising they get such small tips.
Sat-Nav means the qualification to be a taxi driver, the Knowledge, is irrelevant – but the authorities persist with this arcane training, forcing would-be-cabbies to study for years.
This has created an artificial barrier to entry, and gives existing black cab drivers a sense of entitlement to above-market pay.
Lots of black cab drivers don’t bother to work many days a week either, thanks to years of lucrative earnings and adroit… tax management.
The entire system needs reinventing. We need more cabs on the street. Old-fashioned training must be scrapped and replaced with sat-nav technology to encourage more recruits into the profession.
And fares need slashing, so that more of London’s citizens and tourists can afford to use taxis.
Our politicians and regulators are intimidated by lobby groups like the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, but the legislators should be bolder and seek wholesale reform.
Consumers are being cheated by a poor-value monopoly, and the nation’s capital deserves better.
Regulation might be right for bridging. But it isn’t always the answer.
-DK
