Starting in 2018, all new black cabs must be electric.
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Even London's buses, police cars and black cabs are cleaning up.
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Red double decker buses and black cabs beep horns in support.
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Bakkali, black cabs have become a byword for populism and racism.
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He already owns LEVC, the maker of London's iconic black cabs.
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Black cabs have been a staple of London's transportation system for decades.
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The difference between the TX and London's traditional black cabs is stark.
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Mytaxi's mission is to encourage riders to use the city's black cabs.
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London's iconic black cabs had long been the protection officer's secret weapon.
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Uber started in black cabs before adding UberX and disrupting the taxi market.
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Mr. Walsh accepts that black cabs have been slow to adapt to change.
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TfL and other groups will gradually build more charging stations dedicated to black cabs.
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Citymapper previously partnered with Gett for carpooled rides in black cabs along a fixed route.
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It will allow both private hire vehicles and black cabs to be on its platform.
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London's long-suffering Black Cabs have yet another competitor to deal with, alongside Gett, and Uber.
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Uber has faced protests from drivers of London's traditional black cabs and criticism over working conditions.
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Geely opened a new factory in central England in March to produce the electric black cabs.
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Uber's arrival in London has, however, set off a clash with the city's famous black cabs.
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Ride-hailing firms believe that TfL prefers black cabs, whose owners are overwhelmingly white and British.
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Fans of Uber also argue that black cabs have been slow to adapt to new technology.
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TfL's ruling was chiefly meant to assuage the grievances of drivers of black cabs, a powerful lobby.
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However, all licensed London black cabs are already wheelchair accessible and come fully equipped with accessibility features.
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Or by finding ways to make London's more rigorously regulated black cabs more affordable for people to use.
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There are also a number of minicab firms as well as the iconic black cabs, particularly in London.
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The LTDA represents London's pricey black cabs that serve mainly the well-to-do in the capital's centre.
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Along with red double decker buses and the Tube, black cabs are an iconic part of London's transport infrastructure.
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"Our iconic black cabs are famous across the world," Greg Clark, business and energy secretary, said in a statement.
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There's no Lyft competing with Uber in London—only significantly smaller ride-hailing operators and London's traditional black cabs.
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Its arrival here, however, created a clash almost immediately with the black cabs, which trace their roots to 1634.
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While it's important to consider the racial implications of the black cabs versus Uber row, there are other crucial factors.
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"Black cabs have been moving people in and around London for centuries," Andy Batty, Free Now's chief operating officer, told CNBC.
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Ola too has announced its expansion into London, a market also occupied by Estonia's Bolt and the city's ubiquitous black cabs.
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"The big underlying dynamic is that the city government has decided to cave or protect the black cabs in London," he said.
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More than 9,000 electric taxis, or about half the current fleet of black cabs, are expected on the capital's roads by 2021.
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The figures also showed that 122 allegations of rape and sexual assault were reported against other London taxi drivers, including black cabs.
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The drive is about 10 minutes, and black cabs are expensive, but they are the safest type of cabs to take in London.
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The rise of Uber and the new entrants has put pressure on London's iconic black cabs, as they often charge much cheaper fares.
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But at least its name should live on, just as Taylor's hated Hackney "Hell-carts" do in London's black cabs, 400 years later.
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And because this is a story about London black cabs, we'd be completely remiss if we didn't bring up Uber, their mortal enemy.
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Many fear that the rivalry will put them out of business: Uber fares are about 30 percent lower than those of black cabs.
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She also notes that black cabs are regulated on the price they can charge — so can't impose surge pricing at will as Uber does.
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It may be famous for its red double decker buses and black cabs, but London is pushing hard to become a city of cycling.
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THE taxi drivers of London are famous for their black cabs, pricey fares and outspoken political commentary provided to passengers at no extra charge.
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In her British-themed bedroom, where she drags me to show off posters of Big Ben and black cabs, she produces three distinct accents.
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And it's not the people who can afford to take black cabs, which can cost more than double an Uber fare, who are concerned.
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"This is the first time it'll be possible to use all the black cabs, effectively making cars competitive to buses," Waiser explained in an interview.
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Drivers of London's black cabs, who have snarled up the city's streets in protest at the app over the last few years, welcomed Friday's decision.
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Uber says it provides millions of rides per week in London, and with roughly 45,000 drivers, its fleet nearly doubles the number of black cabs.
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Drivers of black cabs have protested against Uber over the years, saying the company does not adhere to the same rules that they have to.
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The firm will offer private vehicles for hire as well as Britain's famous black cabs on its platform, and will add more transportation options going forward.
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It also owns the London Taxi Company, which will produce the next generation of electric black cabs in Coventry as well as small electric commercial vehicles.
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But Uber's presence in London has angered the drivers of the city's iconic "black cabs", who have previously blocked London's streets in protest at the app.
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That, they say, allows Uber to keep its prices lower than those of black cabs — Uber can be up to 30 percent cheaper than London taxis.
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Uber fares are about 30 percent lower than those of black cabs — a discrepancy that cabbies say signals a deliberate attempt to kill off their trade.
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Niche luxury brands of British heritage like Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lotus are also now foreign-owned, as is the maker of London's famed black cabs.
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London is staring up a pilot test of its electric black cabs (via Engadget), otherwise known as the TX5, after first revealing the vehicles back in 2015.
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How it Works: The Gett app connects riders with several thousand of London's black cabs, and the average wait for a ride is less than five minutes.
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The Prices: Standard metered fares for London black cabs; there's no surge pricing, but rides are a minimum of £10 on the weekends and before 10 a.m.
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It is true that the operators of London's famous, and famously pricey, black cabs, and labor groups, have long lobbied against Uber and its tech-savvy rivals.
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Some were simply left perplexed by the PR drive from the Middle Eastern nation, which saw Bin Salman's face plastered on billboards and black cabs in London.
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But despite the lack of open street warfare in London there's still no love lost between London's distinctive — and heavily regulated — Black Cabs and the Silicon Valley upstart.
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The Hangzhou, China-based company also owns The London Taxi Company, which operates that city's iconic black cabs, and large chunks of Malaysia's Proton and the UK's Lotus.
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It can acquire symbolic treasures from elsewhere itself: the London Taxi Company, maker of the famous black cabs; House of Fraser, a retailer; Club Med, a holiday firm.
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LEVC opened a new factory in central England in March to produce electric black cabs with the aim of producing about 10,000 vehicles for British and overseas markets.
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Many, particularly women, are worried about traveling late at night, given that taking black cabs is more expensive — around 35% more, according to a study done earlier this year.
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The battle between London's black cabs and upstart incomer Uber has been a relatively subdued affair thus far — aside from the odd scuffle and some roadblocking demonstrations last year.
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Public body Transport for London (TfL) proposed new restrictions on the way private hire firms operate last year after month of demonstrations from drivers of the capital's black cabs.
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Since the rules changed in April, the congestion-charge exemption has been available only to black cabs and to the 0.6% of private-hire vehicles that are accessible to wheelchairs.
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With blaring horns, members of Argentina's powerful taxi unions drove their yellow-and-black cabs or marched through the capital at the start of a planned two days of protests.
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The new, aptly named 'Japan Taxi' (or Jpn Taxi for conveniently fitting on a rooftop sign) is already on roads, and bears a slight resemblance to London's signature black cabs.
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In the 90's, the company switched over to GPS satellite technology, eventually building out an app that works similar to other ride-sharing services, but for licensed black cabs.
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Uber can be a lifeline for women, people of colour, LGBT people, and people with disabilities, for whom black cabs are not an option and night buses can feel unsafe.
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Uber's been deemed not "fit and proper" for London so, for now at least, you may have to hail one of those stylish black cabs to get around the city.
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Videos on the hotel's website and Facebook page show the former footballer travelling around London choosing the city's most iconic features, including black cabs, red buses, telephone boxes, and pubs.
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PayPal, which can be spotted on London black cabs but has yet to push into other parts of Europe, says it is banking on its brand awareness around the globe.
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At one point in 2000, 220,2000 Londoners a day were installing the app on their phones, eschewing iconic black cabs in favor of a Toyota Prius summoned with a tap.
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Wired's Alex Davies (a former BI transportation editor) and I checked out the roomy-roomy-roominess, which reminded me of London black cabs and the old Checkers in New York.
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The ride-hailing firm will offer private vehicles for hire as well as the popular black cabs on its platform and will add more transportation options going forward, the company said.
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As in many cities, Uber has disrupted powerful interests in London, starting with the drivers of black cabs, who trace their lineage to 1634, and their influential Licensed Taxi Drivers Association.
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While drivers of black cabs are jumping for joy at the news, many women are condemning Transport for London's (TfL) decision, stating that they fear for their personal safety late at night.
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If you want to drive one of the city's black cabs, you must memorize not just 25,000 streets, but the businesses or landmarks on them — like a flower stand or a laundromat.
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Last month, Kapten won approval from Transport for London to launch its services in the British capital and take on the likes of Uber as well as the city's historic black cabs.
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The taxi app's presence in London has angered the drivers of the city's iconic black cabs, who have previously blocked streets in protest, arguing the firm is a threat to their livelihoods.
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The taxi app's presence in London has angered the drivers of the city's iconic black cabs, who have previously blocked streets in protest, arguing the firm is a threat to their livelihoods.
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Pass was launched earlier this year, and Citymapper says it will soon be adding black cabs and minicabs to the service's top tier to make up for the loss of Ride's shared taxis.
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Today's figures also show 122 allegations of rape or sexual assault against other London taxi drivers (including black cabs, which don't exactly have a perfect record when it comes to sexual assault, either).
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Unlike Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride-hailing firms, Gett uses its technology to link passengers with traditional operators such as New York's yellow taxi firms or the black cabs of London.
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For years, Uber has operated a virtual monopoly in the city; it grew a huge customer base of 3.5 million people by being cheaper and more convenient than black cabs for most journeys.
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"There are days in the summer when the heat and the rush-hour fumes hang over the stationary black cabs and double-decker buses like an invisible blanket," she wrote in an email.
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"These proposals favor black cabs and discriminate against drivers who use apps like Uber," said Uber's London General Manager Tom Elvidge adding the plan would cost Uber drivers who use Uber hundreds of pounds.
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Drivers of the British capital's iconic black cabs are predominantly white, and have to pass an exacting exam, known as the Knowledge, by memorizing thousands of city streets over the course of several years.
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But in addition to its own electric car ambitions, Geely has also invested in flying cars, London's electric black cabs, and its founder is now the biggest outside shareholder of German automotive giant Daimler.
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Uber has faced months of protests from drivers of the capital's long-dominant black cabs but earlier this year transport bosses rejected options which could have imposed strict new restrictions on how it operates.
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And London Electric Vehicle Company, which makes black cabs and is owned by Geely of China, said on Thursday that it would cut 70 position among its agency staff in response to the uncertainty.
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Rapidly expanding tech start-ups such as Uber have faced opposition from unions and longer-established competitors around the world, including in London where drivers of traditional black cabs have held a series of protests.
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In London, for example, Uber drivers are already required to have a private hire licence, the same one that has long let "minicabs" offer a cheaper alternative to the city's famous but expensive black cabs.
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Following months of demonstrations from drivers of the capital's famous black cabs, public body Transport for London (TfL) launched a consultation last year on a raft of proposals to restrict the way private hire firms operate.
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Rapidly expanding tech start-ups such as Uber have faced opposition from some unions and longer-established competitors around the world, including in London where drivers of traditional black cabs have held a series of protests.
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Since Uber launched in London in 2012, the drivers of the city's iconic black cabs have been lobbying Transport for London (TFL), the regulator, to make Uber play by the same rules that they have to.
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In London, it has fended off attempts by drivers of the city's famous black cabs to have the app ruled illegal, and transport bosses decided earlier this year not to impose tough new rules on the app.
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The new Gett Together offering has advantages over competitors including UberPOOL thanks to Gett's close ties to cities, which will allow it to effectively use black cabs as a distributed network of micro buses in London, for instance.
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The proposals came partly as a response to demonstrations from drivers of London's famous black cabs, concerned that private hire firms are able to undermine their business model by not meeting the same standards and charging less for journeys.
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The on-demand ride company — which competes with black cabs, Uber and other car services — announced a deal with self-driving startup Oxbotica to develop autonomous vehicles, with the aim of getting them in service in London by 2021.
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In recent months, in an attempt to innovate and attract younger recruits, Gojyo taxi company has done everything from decorating one of their cabs in anime to deploying one of London's iconic black cabs on the roads of Tokyo.
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The legal battle pitches one of the world's richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of London's famous black cabs.
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Earlier this year, the capital's transport authority said it would introduce the measure as part of a series of stricter rules on apps such as Uber and private hire firms like Addison Lee whilst supporting the city's iconic black cabs.
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LONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - The London Taxi Company, maker of the British capital's distinctive black cabs, plans to ramp up production by the end of the decade and sell taxis and vans to other major European cities, its chairman said.
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The UK High Court on Wednesday dismissed a legal challenge brought by Independent Workers Union of Great Britain against London Mayor Sadiq Khan over his decision to extend the 11.50 pounds ($14.36) daily charge to minicabs while exempting black cabs.
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On the flip side, the innovation has pushed London black cabs in the right direction: They are often using similar app-based technology for hailing, are adjusting rates for prebook unmetered rates, and finally have functioning credit card payment systems.
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Under measures announced by the mayor of London, regulator Transport for London (TfL) will allow black cabs to access a further 20 of its bus lanes, provide journey details on its popular online journey planner tool and ensure all cabs accept card payments.
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Uber, which has faced protests from drivers of London's traditional black cabs, had its license extended in May for four months as the city's transport regulator considers several factors including a new fees system which could raise the costs paid by larger private-hire firms.
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LONDON (Reuters) - London said on Tuesday it would introduce new measures to support its iconic black cabs including giving access to more bus lanes and boosting the number of taxi ranks, just as private hire firms such as Uber face stricter rules in the capital.
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According to figures from the Metropolitan Police, the majority of sexual assaults reportedly perpetrated by drivers occur in unlicensed illegal vehicles and the most recent stats from 2015 don't show a significant increase in crimes in Ubers compared to black cabs or other licensed minicabs.
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Geely, which also owns the maker of London's black cabs, has already forecast a 2002594 percent jump in sales for the current year as affordable models introduced after the Volvo acquisition, such as its GC9 sedan and Boyue sport-utility vehicle, exceed initial estimates.
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In a series of proposals released on Tuesday, TfL said it would also introduce measures to reduce the emissions from black cabs by only licensing zero-emissions capable vehicles from 2018 and introducing a scrappage scheme to encourage drivers to trade in older taxis for greener models.
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LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - A new electric version of London's classic black cabs will arrive on the streets of Amsterdam next year, the first export market for the new model as the London Taxi Company, the Chinese-owned manufacturer, seeks to sell half its output abroad.
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LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - The Chinese-owned maker of London's black cabs opened a new factory in central England on Wednesday to produce electric taxis which it also hopes to sell overseas for the first time to cities keen on the famous brand and concerned about pollution.
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It owns Volvo Cars, LEVC, the maker of London's black cabs, and last year took a majority stake in sports car maker Lotus, a 49.9 percent stake in Malaysian automaker Proton, a $3.3 billion stake in Volvo Trucks and control of flying car start-up Terrafugia.
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Zhejiang Geely Holding owns Volvo Cars, LEVC, the maker of London's black cabs, and last year took a majority stake in sports car maker Lotus, a 49.9 percent stake in Malaysian automaker Proton, a $3.3 billion stake in Volvo Trucks and control of flying car start-up Terrafugia.
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The union said it would appeal the ruling, which upheld a decision by London's mayor Sadiq Khan against exempting private hire drivers - a majority of whom are from ethnic minorities - from the charge while drivers of London's traditional black cabs, who are mostly white, do not pay it.
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One of the other things I discovered on this trip is that Geely is already responsible for making London's TX203 hybrid black cabs, so the parent company does have some credibility that stretches beyond Volvo's pedigree and the high level of competence in the CEVT and Geely Design studios.
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An aluminum plant closed three years ago is reopening to service the manufacture of electric London black cabs, reflecting a nascent revival of industry in reaction to a new requirement that all new taxis in the British capital be capable of zero-emissions driving as of this coming January, per Reuters.
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How it Works: Mytaxi connects passengers with registered local taxi drivers and works exclusively with licensed black cabs in London; the company has a network of more than 25,500 drivers in the city, and the average wait time for a ride is less than three minutes, according to a company spokesman.
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Drivers applying for a new or renewed license had until the end of September to prove they meet the more rigorous English language criteria, pushed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan partly in response to pressure from drivers of the city's traditional black cabs, who fear their business model is being undercut.
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Below is the premiere of his video for "Princess Taxi Girl Part I." Musically it's a wonky kind of pop (is that a bassoon we hear?), full of jaunty choral backing vocals and Creed's idiosyncratic tones all of which accompanies a video in which women walk in hair bouncy slo-mo towards black cabs.
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" Last year London's mayor, Boris Johnson, effectively voiced support for this point of view, writing in The Telegraph that: "At present that law is being systematically broken — or at least circumvented — by the use of the Uber app", and adding: "Until Parliament has the guts to change the law we must uphold the existing and long-standing legal distinctions between black cabs and minicabs.
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As Uber continues to raise ever more funding to drive its on-demand transportation app into more categories and countries, one of its smaller, regional cab-hailing rivals is quietly expanding into its own adjacent services: Gett, a startup with service in 29 cities globally whose app can be used to hail black cabs in London, is today adding a courier service, starting in the UK capital.
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