On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 10:13:26 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:37:28 on Wed, 8 Mar
2017, d remarked:
While the piece itself focussed on studded tyres, I bet the real
reason is "battery capacity at sub-zero temperatures".

We get a lot of them in London, of course!

It's a "world car" or so we are apparently told.

They'll be lucky. LTi have tried to flog black cabs around the world a
number of times IIRC. Unsurprisingly no one wanted an underpowered, ugly,
expensive (compared to alternatives) diesel vehicle

Perhaps that's why they are trying out this new hybrid design???????

Its still fugly and will no doubt be underpowered and cost a fortune. I don't
think ford, toyota or nissan will be particularly worried about losing much
business.

--
Spud

In article , d () wrote:

On Wed, 8 Mar 2017 10:13:26 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:37:28 on Wed, 8 Mar
2017, d remarked:
While the piece itself focussed on studded tyres, I bet the real
reason is "battery capacity at sub-zero temperatures".

We get a lot of them in London, of course!

It's a "world car" or so we are apparently told.

They'll be lucky. LTi have tried to flog black cabs around the world a
number of times IIRC. Unsurprisingly no one wanted an underpowered,
ugly, expensive (compared to alternatives) diesel vehicle

Perhaps that's why they are trying out this new hybrid design???????

Its still fugly and will no doubt be underpowered and cost a fortune.
I don't think ford, toyota or nissan will be particularly worried about
losing much business.

Are Mercedes still selling Vitos for London taxi service?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 08.03.2017 11:37 AM, d wrote:
On Tue, 7 Mar 2017 19:20:18 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 11:35:01
on Tue, 7 Mar 2017, remarked:
In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at 16:34:35 on Tue, 7 Mar
2017, tim... remarked:

I must admit I wondered why the BBC described the tests as secret or

perhaps it's the attribute that they are testing that is secret

While the piece itself focussed on studded tyres, I bet the real
reason is "battery capacity at sub-zero temperatures".

We get a lot of them in London, of course!

It's a "world car" or so we are apparently told.

They'll be lucky. LTi have tried to flog black cabs around the world a
number of times IIRC. Unsurprisingly no one wanted an underpowered, ugly,
expensive (compared to alternatives) diesel vehicle who's only USP is a small
turning circle. Unfortunately for them, that is a concern absolutely nowhere
apart from in London, and even most other cities in the UK tend to use normal
cars. Rarely does one see TXs outside london in any great numbers.

It's been a while since I was in the UK so my memory may be rusty, but I
seem to recall they were common if not standard in both Leeds and
Manchester.

I suspect they'll be popular anywhere where offering drivers decent
protection from their passengers, and an interior that's easy to hose out
at the end of a night, are desirable features. Which means they should be
popular in any UK city really.

On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 06:54:34 -0000 (UTC)
Clank wrote:
It's been a while since I was in the UK so my memory may be rusty, but I
seem to recall they were common if not standard in both Leeds and
Manchester.

Not been to either of those cities for years, but I don't remember seeing
any in bristol or nottingham recently. Mind you, I wasn't looking either.

I suspect they'll be popular anywhere where offering drivers decent
protection from their passengers, and an interior that's easy to hose out

If protection from passengers was a primary concern minicab drivers would
buy them too. The fact that they don't tells you all you need to know.
Besides which, I'm sure its possible to get a screen fitted in a normal car
as they do in the USA and you find with come chauffeur drive vehicles.

at the end of a night, are desirable features. Which means they should be
popular in any UK city really.

Not sure the interior is hosable - might not do the door electrics any
favours.

--
Spud

On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 09:58:39 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:
On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 06:54:34 -0000 (UTC)
Clank wrote:
It's been a while since I was in the UK so my memory may be rusty, but I
seem to recall they were common if not standard in both Leeds and
Manchester.

Not been to either of those cities for years, but I don't remember seeing
any in bristol or nottingham recently. Mind you, I wasn't looking either.

There are taxi ranks outside Bristol and Nottingham stations with
'London' taxis queuing up at both on Google Streetview. Blue and green
rather than black.

In article , (Clank)
wrote:

On 08.03.2017 11:37 AM, d wrote:
On Tue, 7 Mar 2017 19:20:18 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 11:35:01
on Tue, 7 Mar 2017, remarked:
In article , (Roland
Perry) wrote:

In message , at 16:34:35 on Tue, 7 Mar
2017, tim... remarked:

I must admit I wondered why the BBC described the tests as secret
or

perhaps it's the attribute that they are testing that is secret

While the piece itself focussed on studded tyres, I bet the real
reason is "battery capacity at sub-zero temperatures".

We get a lot of them in London, of course!

It's a "world car" or so we are apparently told.

They'll be lucky. LTi have tried to flog black cabs around the world a
number of times IIRC. Unsurprisingly no one wanted an underpowered, ugly,
expensive (compared to alternatives) diesel vehicle who's only USP is a
small turning circle. Unfortunately for them, that is a concern
absolutely nowhere apart from in London, and even most other cities in
the UK tend to use normal cars. Rarely does one see TXs outside london in
any great numbers.

It's been a while since I was in the UK so my memory may be rusty, but I
seem to recall they were common if not standard in both Leeds and
Manchester.

I suspect they'll be popular anywhere where offering drivers decent
protection from their passengers, and an interior that's easy to hose out
at the end of a night, are desirable features. Which means they should be
popular in any UK city really.

Quite a few cities make them mandatory. Birmingham is another. They are
optional in Cambridge but we've always had a few.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 09:58:39 on Thu, 9 Mar
2017, d remarked:
It's been a while since I was in the UK so my memory may be rusty, but I
seem to recall they were common if not standard in both Leeds and
Manchester.

Not been to either of those cities for years, but I don't remember seeing
any in bristol or nottingham recently. Mind you, I wasn't looking either.

Nottingham has a lot TX4's now, previously the Metrocab dominated.

--
Roland Perry

In message , at 13:38:16 on Thu, 9 Mar
2017, d remarked:
There are taxi ranks outside Bristol and Nottingham stations with
'London' taxis queuing up at both on Google Streetview. Blue and green
rather than black.

Ironically the first thing I saw on nottingham streetview outside the station
is a prius taxi.

That's a minicab - no "Taxi" sign on the roof. Duh.

There do seem to be some TXs there,

Like these ten you mean? https://goo.gl/maps/Uwr3kWQE4hk

And another dozen inside, he https://goo.gl/maps/no195yz2Ze72
to he https://goo.gl/maps/bep6nJZHu6R2

but a quick random sample around the rest of the city doesn't show any

Other than the dozen lined up here... https://goo.gl/maps/dXRA1p1rBAM2

and... oh I can't be bothered. You get the drift.

so they can't be that common. I can't imagine why they use them there.

Imagination is not your strong suit.
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 13:48:32 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:38:16 on Thu, 9 Mar
2017, d remarked:
There are taxi ranks outside Bristol and Nottingham stations with
'London' taxis queuing up at both on Google Streetview. Blue and green
rather than black.

Ironically the first thing I saw on nottingham streetview outside the station
is a prius taxi.

That's a minicab - no "Taxi" sign on the roof. Duh.

So every city requires a taxi sign on the roof does it?

There do seem to be some TXs there,

Like these ten you mean? https://goo.gl/maps/Uwr3kWQE4hk

And another dozen inside, he https://goo.gl/maps/no195yz2Ze72
to he https://goo.gl/maps/bep6nJZHu6R2

Oh, you mean the ones he'd already pointed out? Yes, saw them. Your point is?

but a quick random sample around the rest of the city doesn't show any

Other than the dozen lined up here... https://goo.gl/maps/dXRA1p1rBAM2

Some of them being peugeots. And I was in that street only the other week
and there were precisely zero cabs of any sort in it.

so they can't be that common. I can't imagine why they use them there.

Imagination is not your strong suit.

Give some good reasons they're better than a normal car then.

--
Spud

In message , at 14:41:08 on Thu, 9 Mar
2017, d remarked:
On Thu, 9 Mar 2017 13:48:32 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:38:16 on Thu, 9 Mar
2017, d remarked:
There are taxi ranks outside Bristol and Nottingham stations with
'London' taxis queuing up at both on Google Streetview. Blue and green
rather than black.

Ironically the first thing I saw on nottingham streetview outside the station
is a prius taxi.

That's a minicab - no "Taxi" sign on the roof. Duh.

So every city requires a taxi sign on the roof does it?

Nottingham does, for it's licenced hackneys.

There do seem to be some TXs there,

Like these ten you mean? https://goo.gl/maps/Uwr3kWQE4hk

And another dozen inside, he https://goo.gl/maps/no195yz2Ze72
to he https://goo.gl/maps/bep6nJZHu6R2

Oh, you mean the ones he'd already pointed out? Yes, saw them. Your point is?

Who he, and when pointed out?

but a quick random sample around the rest of the city doesn't show any

Other than the dozen lined up here... https://goo.gl/maps/dXRA1p1rBAM2

Some of them being peugeots.

One being a Peugeot, on account of being wheelchair-adapted.

There's also one Metrocab.

And I was in that street only the other week and there were precisely
zero cabs of any sort in it.

Crikey, I thought you were joined at the hip to the East End.

so they can't be that common. I can't imagine why they use them there.

Imagination is not your strong suit.

Give some good reasons they're better than a normal car then.

Five bums, and lots of luggage.
--
Roland Perry