“The average fare is still below ten pounds”
If you want to make a choice today to become a taxi driver in London, you should know that from 2028 all new taxis will be electric. The other side of that sustainable coin is that as a taxi driver you pay an average of five hundred British Pounds per week for the rental of an electric car. For the same amount you can now drive a traditional black London diesel taxi for a whole month. Difficult to choose in uncertain times, but high fuel prices can influence the choice.
Today I went out and asked how the choice will be made. “Before you earn the first cent yourself, you must already have this income at a minimum, every month.” says Alex. In addition, the argument that in the night hours after going out and when the customer wants to go home, he is not interested in whether it is a diesel or an electric car, as long as it is dry.
crowds
The number of journeys in London is now going slightly better, especially during the weekend. †The average fare is still below ten pounds”, says Alex. †If I can do about twenty rides on good days, I haven't had a bad day.Then Alex goes home with an average of about two hundred pounds. After all, every tap on the taximeter is for his own account, but all costs still have to be paid.
Today is a little different for Alex. Just before 10 o'clock he stands neatly in front of the hotel as agreed and sends me a text message. I reserved his first ride of the day a few days ago after meeting him in London on an earlier local ride. A sympathetic taxi driver with a love for his profession. He continues to talk about his daily work with passion. †I only have one job and that is to ensure that every customer is safely transported to their destination."
The first ride today is to Stansted Airport, about a 75 minute drive. He hasn't done it for years, he told on the way, but the airports are closer such as Heathrow or London City Airport. And it shows because when he arrives at the airport, it takes a while for him to find the correct entrance to the departure hall. †No problemsays Alex, “I'll turn off the meter from now on and keep looking.he says, looking for the entrance. He does not want the customer to pay too much because he drove the wrong way. Despite his taxi license allowing it to pick up customers there, there is plenty of work in London itself. But starting such a ride on a Saturday in April via a relatively quiet highway is a good start to the day.
"Customers are becoming increasingly empowered and sit in the taxi with the navigation software on their phone in hand. But the customer is king for me. When he wants me to keep driving along the winding Thames in the full crowds because Google Maps indicates it so, I do so. That can often cost them extra pounds more”, replied Alex when asked if customers always agree with his chosen route. Taxi drivers in London all use Cabbie's Mate to navigate. With that app they can draw a straight line between two points and the app navigates in the smartest way taking into account the current traffic situation, speed cameras or detours.
Uber
We didn't really want to talk about Uber this time because we won't stop it in the metropolis. Too many other interests play a part in this. I spoke to Joshua about this earlier and asked what the decision that they've been granted a 60-month license does for him and his colleagues.
To a simple question I get an emotional answer. †I want to work for another 4 years and then I will stop. We taxi drivers cannot do much with the political game that Uber has played in London. Fortunately, Uber increased its fares in London by 10% in November which was good news for us. This allows us to be competitive in the market.”
Those who know London have often seen them, the black taxis that have dominated the streets of London for years. But the days when we saw the iconic black Austin FX4 are long gone and the big question is what to choose as a taxi driver? Driving electrically in an eCity, TX or going for the traditional fuel engine? These are questions that London taxi drivers will be working on in the near future. But before they think about that future, the tourists must embrace the city again en masse.
Also read: London taxi drivers work an extra two hours
