The Brand of London Taxi

If you have ever been to London, you might have heard, seen, or even used the London black cab. This iconic vehicle is also common in movies featured in London, so you don’t have to be in London to see the London black cab. These legendary London taxis didn’t start roaming its streets recently, but the mode of transport dates back to 1662.

They have a long history dating back to the 17th century when the taxi revolutionized from a horse-drawn carriage to the TX4. Currently, the brand of London taxi is the TX 4 which is a hackney carrier built to suit the modern days. There are numerous features in this hackney carrier that make it reliable and iconic.

Looking at the design of the TX 4 you will notice its unique features from other cab brands. The brand has a new front radiator grille which gives the vehicle a stylish look. The grille also serves its original purpose of covering the front opening of the cab while ventilating the engine. The taxi has an updated interior design featuring a hand-stitched leather or cloth covering.

For cloth-covered interiors, a spillage could be messy as they are not waterproof. There is an additional feature of a carpet on the floors of these cabs giving them a neat and lovely look. However, there have been drawbacks to the cloth interior of the TX4 as it is appealing to customers but stressful to drivers who have to keep it clean.

Cabs can be designed differently depending on the owner, but a leather interior looks best on this brand of London taxi. The England TX 4 can operate on both types, either manual or automatic. The engine of this taxi brand is much quieter than its predecessor. It has a 2.5 Turbo diesel engine with a new lower emission standard. Many drivers have reported better performance of this engine as it brings a better acceleration and suspension than older models. To maximize profits and limit operational costs on the TX4, it is more economic on fuel than its predecessors.

There are surprising facts about these London cabs, which make it unique, worldwide. First, despite the name black cab, they are not black but come in different colors. Even if black is common, there are cabs painted in different colors. These cabs are designed to have a certain body frame and dimension to navigate smaller spaces. Most have a turning circle of 25ft to maneuver in tight spaces. Surprisingly, cabs in London have to be long enough to accommodate a client wearing bowler hats. Taxis in London have a light at the top which is common to indicate if the vehicle is available for hire or not.

Despite flexible working hours when operating a cab in London, most of who drivers are men. Only 2% are women leading to concerns if women find being a cab driver unsuitable. Approximately, about 21,000 cabs are operating in London yet the TX4 takes a smaller percentage of this as it is still new.

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