THE first London-style Taxi has arrived in Melbourne on a trial set to shake up the Taxi industry.
Melbourne, 15 August: London-style taxis look set to become a part of Melbourne’s streetscape, after a test vehicle began touring the city on Wednesday.
The London Taxi Company has already put a fleet of its purpose-built cabs on trial in Perth and hopes to start a 100-car trial in Victoria by the end of the year. In the meantime, the company is test-driving one of its new models on the streets of Melbourne.
The grey cab, with the distinctive London-style shape, seats six people and has a wall to separate the driver from five passengers in the back seat.
Evan Simeon, CEO of the company in Australia, said the new taxi had been adapted for Australian conditions, with a stronger airconditioner and better radiator to deal with the heat.
“Australia has a lot harsher roads and harsher conditions [than London” he said.
The London Taxi Company is owned by the Geely Group from China, where some of its cars are manufactured, with others made in England using Chinese parts.
Mr Simeon said if interest was strong enough the company wanted to start making some of the cars in Victoria or South Australia, and he confirmed he had been in talks with local vehicle manufacturers.
Television news programs recently reported taxi drivers in Perth were critical of the vehicles, and did not like the braking system.
Mr Simeon said the cars had since been recalled and their brakes improved by 30 per cent.
A spokeswoman for the Victorian Taxi Association said it would welcome any commercial solution that made Melbourne’s taxi fleet more accessible.
“The Victorian Taxi Association is interested to learn the results of the current trial of London-style cabs in Melbourne and keen to understand the response to the vehicles both from the public and the industry,” she said.