[harg]

It's a disgrace that black cabs are allowed the exemptions they currently receive (bus lanes, ULEZ, congestion charge, waiting on double lines etc). They're an incredibly inefficient form of transport used almost exclusively by tourists and the wealthy and the non-PHEV are some of the most polluting vehicles on the road.

The black cab lobby enjoys a disproportionate amount of power when it comes to policy-making on transport. Most Londoners would not miss them if black cabs disappeared overnight but somehow huge allowances are made to ensure they continue to operate the way they do, often at the expense of everyone else.

[sails]

I agree entirely.

> bus lanes

This exemption is completely ridiculous.

I recently asked "What would the outcome be of a total taxi ban in a major city" in a similar thread [0]. An interesting answer was the disabled would struggle. I've since discovered Dial-a-Ride [1], which is good to see and now strengthens my convictions against black cabs in London.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21268807 [1] https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/dial-a-ride/

[edf13]

For business use alone - public transport just isn’t up to the task without taxis. I know London we’ll for example and can get around for meetings mostly by tube but sometimes a taxi is a must... foreign visitors mainly rely on taxis for meeting appointments

[stordoff]

> I've since discovered Dial-a-Ride

Which does nothing to help visitors. My own trips to London would be significantly more problematic without black cabs.

[nothrabannosir]

Not disagreeing with your post, but when talking about black cabs and ULEZ we shouldn't forget the historical diesel subsidies:

> The resulting financial incentive for diesel cars helped to prompt a "dash for diesel" after it came into effect in 2001 and was extended in further years. This particularly happened within company car fleets which were responsible for a substantial proportion of new car purchases.

> There are now 12 million diesel cars on Britain's roads, while back in 2000 there were only three million. And in recent years diesels have accounted for around half the new car market, whereas in 2000 only one in seven new cars was a diesel model.

- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41985715

This was a massive 180 by government, which explains some of the exceptions for black cabs.

However, anyone who bought a car after they realised the mistake and repealed it, deserves less sympathy. I wish the ULEZ exception took that into account.

[chrisseaton]

> used almost exclusively by tourists and the wealthy

Huh? A black cab seems like the great equalizer. People of almost all social classes, professions, rich and poor, get the same cabs.

In fact, the wealthy are probably the only people not taking cabs I would have thought, as they have their own cars and chauffeurs.

[stuaxo]

Black cabs have enough space in the back for a wheelchair, or an unfolded pushchair.

When I'm in London I can put my toddler in the back, still in the buggy.

Outside of London most places have ordinary taxies, I can either bring along a carseat, or hold my toddler which is not as safe.

Uber taxies are just ordinary cars and have the same problem.