To not understand the point of black cabs now?

[Userlavender]

Aside from all the uber controversy (i use addison lee and local minicabs) can someone please tell me - what is the point of black cabs in 2017?!

They are insanely expensive, surely the knowledge is irrelevant now that everyone has satnav and they love going the long way round to get extra £££? This has happened to me a few times. Cab to the airport using my local minicab which sends driver details and tracking is £18. With a black cab the estimate is 'about £80'. Surely they are no longer sustainable due to prices? Am I missing something? Who are all these people who pay black cabs their ridiculous prices?

Satnav in London is pain as the maps aren't updated often enough with the changes to road layouts, permanent closures, one way direction changes. That's before you get to the temp closures and diversion routes.

no, it's not. I live and own a car in London. Google directions works perfectly fine. Yes, occasionally you hit a bump in the road, but that happens everywhere.

An institution?

indeed. I couldn't care less.

Userlavender You come in right on cue. They want cash. And they don't give a receipt off a roll with a serial number; if you ask for one it will be handwritten on a pad. I wonder why?

The running costs of a Black cab vs an PHV are significantly higher, insurance is sky high and as few seem to understand, the rates charged by black cabs are entirely governed by TFL, not the drivers.

doesn't mean that I want to pay the higher fares. That's the problem with this system. TFL are providing services that no one wants or needs, at fares that are too high. Competition is supposed to iron out those wrinkles.

For those saying cabbies are so much safer do not recall the black cab driver currently serving 10 years for raping women in the back of his cab.

I rarely ever take one now, as they are such rip offs. As a car driver in London myself, I find a large majority, rude (always egge their way in-front of you, never say thanks) arrogant and often reckless fellow drivers, which has even more put me off continuing to use them.

ArcheryAnnie knowing where, amoung other things, estates, prominent buildings, government offices, and points of interest are is a part of The Knowledge (and also available on most sat nav systems). Knowing where the lifts are inside Selfridges or what exhibitions are on is not. Though many black cab drivers will be aware of a lot of this in Central London, as will some minicab drivers who frequently drive those routes.

You come in right on cue. They want cash. And they don't give a receipt off a roll with a serial number; if you ask for one it will be handwritten on a pad. I wonder why

Because they're as dodgy as fuck, tax evading mealy mouthed hypocrites.

Black cabs are safer, the drivers' knowledge is invaluable, in Scotland they have to have had full disclosure checks too.

There was a story in the news in Glasgow that a local, large minicab firm applied to do council work for a local school. Only for drivers passed the disclosure checks.

There's been many sex attacks by black cabbies.

The same can be said about Uber, but maybe the uber ones are more likely to be reported as the use of the app means there is a trail. So could be misleading stats. I certainly feel safer knowing I'm being tracked in the car and there is a paper trail for it all.

Uber, as a firm, have been atrocious in their response to sex attacks. They got hold of the medical records of one rape victim to try to use against her. They fail to pass on reports of sex attacks to the police, and have allowed drivers who have been accused to continue driving, leading to the attack of other women. I thin Black Cab's time has come (and I'm pretty sure the market will prove that to us if governments don't move to give them extra protection) but Uber is not what I want to see replacing them. I'm glad talk are moving to enforce licensing conditions there.

That did all happen in india and many people have been sacked over it quite a while ago.

Tfl has still refused to go into any details about what Uber can do to fix the vague issues that they stated in a press release.

The medical records incident was an Indian victim, but executives involved were at the top of the International company, not just people in India. The lack of reporting has been in several countries, including failing to comply with a court-issued search warrant in the US where the International leadership is based. This attitude was condoned and encouraged by that leadership which worked to evade compliance with local laws in several countries. It's that lack of ethics that tfl cited as making the company unfit.

They have recently been making changes and the new CEO's statements are encouraging. But there are still Uber executives who say they can't see why governments should be concerned about their lack of engagement with their legal responsibilities or their deliberate and dishonest evasion of monitoring. So it's not exactly convincing yet.

And the not reporting sexual assaults to the police happened in London.

Black cabs are safer, the drivers' knowledge is invaluable

It really isn't though. More than once a driver has used their knowledge of longer routes to try and scam me out of more money. And as for knowledge of theatres, exhibitions, etc. If only i had some sort of handheld device that lets you access the internet. Someone should really invent one of those.

Bloody Heimo -uberlavender's fury can surely rocket propel her anywhere without any form of transport.

Love the twatnav comment

Bloody hell, not bloody Heimo

@adriane that's legit my fantasy seriously.

Tens of thousands of journeys are made in Black Cabs each day. What's the problem? You do realise OP that you don't have to use them?

I find the existence of many products and services puzzling. I wouldn't go to the trouble of joining Mumsnet just to spout bile about them.

I agree OP. I haven't RTFT, so this may have already been mentioned - but black cabs are absolutely environmentally filthy and a responsible for a disproportionate amount of London's air pollution.

Pigface it seems a bit unfair to blame them when they were encouraged to be diesel for years. Also, all new Black cabs will have to be electric or hybrid from next year. (Note though, that Uber, for all its faults, has been pushing electric vehicles for several years. Also, Black cabs are exempt from the new ultra low emissions charge in London - unlike minicabs - and taxpayers will be forking over millions to help retire older black cabs and get newer electric ones on the road - no such help is being given to minicabs. It's this sort of coddling of black cabs that lets them continue to operate in the marketplace).

When I lived in London I knew the name and number of a local mini cab firm. Now if I visit I use black cabs.

They are always at the station, can be hailed in the street and know where they are going.

pigface taxi drivers are forced to choose between two models which both have Diesel engines.

boomboomscousin If you were forced to drive a diesel vechicle to continue working but were also charged a low emission fee you might think it was unfair?

Despite the cost of nearly £10,000 many London taxis have had an LPG conversion.

Diesel was being subsidised until a few years ago by the government. It's a bit unfair to claim favouritism to Black Cabs when so many regulations have the effect if reducing their opportunity to compete.

I love black cabs - comfortable, clean and safe and generally quicker. Great with buggies and good for slow traffic. Hailable. Usually more expensive - yes - but not always. They now have online accounts and apps which is great. Personally I think there should s a qualitative difference between the knowledge and the sat nav - black cab drivers know the back routes etc. Whether you want to pay for it is a different matter.

I also love uber. Good for cheaper or longer journeys you wouldn't use a black cab for and also where black cabs are not available.

I basically like the choice. If you think black cabs should be canned because you don't like then you are clearly being unreasonable.

They will never let all 40k minicabs in London use bus lanes so I fully support black cabs having that advantage as otherwise no cabs will.

I also have been more fortunate than most, it seems, since my experience of taxi drivers of either type has generally been very good - with some limited exceptions.

. It's a bit unfair to claim favouritism to Black Cabs when so many regulations have the effect if reducing their opportunity to compete.

I don't get this. I think everyone has been saying the opposite (that regulations like use of bus lanes, permission to pick up passengers on the kerb, or to wait at airport and station, resting stops around town for comfort breaks, exemption from congestion and low emissions charges, subsidies for new vehicles, and Im sure I''ve missed others) give an unfair advantage to blackcabs and unfair disadvantage to competition. What is the legislation that is unfair to blackcabs???

What is the legislation that is unfair to blackcabs???

Not my pov, but people say tfl dictate their prices and they would "love to charge less"