Passengers in Plymouth spurn other taxis for LTI’s TX4

Passengers at Plymouth’s taxi ranks are shunning van and saloon taxis in favour of the iconic London black cab.

Cabbie Tony McGill says people at taxi ranks often seek out the iconic vehicles, which are produced by LTI Vehicles in Coventry, and regularly walk straight past other types of vehicle in order to get to them.

Tony, a Plymouth resident who has been a taxi driver for more than five years, has had the latest model, the TX4, for two months and shares his passengers enthusiasm for the vehicle.

He said: “There are people who don’t like the other cabs and some of the elderly don’t like them because the steps are quite thin and they sometimes slip on them, so they quite often request a TX because they like them and can get in easier.

“I think people just prefer the cabs and recognise them a lot more as being a taxi.”

Matthew Cheyne, Director of Sales and Marketing with LTI Vehicles, said: “We were delighted when we heard passengers were heading straight for our cabs.
“It just goes to show the regard and trust people have for our purpose-built vehicles.”

The TX4 is the next generation of a classic design with a new, lower emissions Euro 4 engine and a host of other features.

It was launched in October 2006 and has proved wildly popular, breaking all sales records. Orders for the model have been received from all over the world, including Russia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.