Dear vancouver2010-ga,
There are two types of taxi hire in London. The first is the licensed
black taxis or cabs, and the second is private hire operators and
minicabs. There are also unregulated mini-cabs which operate outside
of the law. I would go for the black cab at any time, but they can be
more expensive.
Black cab drivers are vetted and supervised by the Public Carriage
Office. They have to undergo a rigorous training course know as ?The
Knowledge?. This can take up to 3 years to pass. They have to learn
all the streets in London and the quickest route from A to B. They
have to undertake the course while trying to earn an living in their
current job. It is said that the pass rate is only three in ten. Once
they have passed the course they are given a license, a badge and they
either rent a cab or buy one. Their taxis have heating, air
conditioning and electric windows, and can be taken off the street at
any time if they are not up to standard. They are permitted to ply for
hire on the streets. This is indicated by a yellow light on the front
of the cab. If you hail one in the street, they will stop and take you
to your destination. Please note that ?drivers must, unless they have
good cause, accept any hiring up to 12 miles?or up to one hour
duration, if the destination is in Greater London?. If the cabs are in
a cab rank such as at a railway station, take the first one in the
queue. There are no extra charges for luggage or additional
passengers.
Each cab will have a meter which is set at a rate which applies to all
the black cabs in London. It calculates the distance traveled and the
time taken. It cannot be altered by the driver. The fares appear on
this page.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/taxi_fares.shtml
You will see that the estimated cost of the journey from Heathrow to
Central London is 30?60 mins £40 - £70. There is this wide range in
cost and time as on occasions the traffic in London can be very bad,
especially if you catch the morning rush hour on the M4 from Heathrow
into London. Some cabs do accept credit or debit cards but note that
they ?there is a typical surcharge of between 10% and 15% of the
metered fare.?
More detailed information here.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/fares-detailed.shtml
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/fares-extra-charges.shtml
At Heathrow, as you come through the Arrivals Gate follow the signs
for Taxis. This will take you to the black cab taxi rank. The main
thing against black cabs is the cost. If you are stuck in a traffic
jam then all you can do is watch helplessly as the meter clocks up the
money. Traffic in London can sometimes be very, very bad. As for
their advantage, the cabs are safe and comfortable, and I worked in
London as a police officer for 30 years and very rarely came across
problems with a black cab driver. They are well known throughout the
world for the knowledge of London, their humour, and willingness to
offer their opinion on any subject. The driver would appreciate a tip,
and it is normal to give one, especially if he has been entertaining
or helpful (time of day immaterial). In my experience, the cab driver
will not 'drive around the houses' or take a less direct route.
Private hire operators are undergoing supervision by the Public
Carriage Office. The Public Carriage Office is undertaking a exercise
in licensing all the private hire companies and individuals. The main
difference from black cabs is that is that private hire journeys must
be pre-booked through a licensed operator. Private hire vehicles
cannot ply for hire in the street. They must display their license in
a prominent position in their offices and each driver must have a
permit (the issuing of these permits is current underway). The cost of
hire is decided by each individual company or driver. Often it is a
set price for Heathrow to Central London. Ask the price or negotiate
it before commencing the journey. Tip for good service (time of day
immaterial).
The Public Carriage Office has some information to assist you.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/ph_operators.shtml
Licensed Operators? search
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/php_safecabs.asp
So, you need to identify a regulated company and then contact them to
book a journey and find out the cost. They may take credit or debit
cards. It depends on the company. They will meet you at the airport as
arranged. Their drivers do not have such an in-depth knowledge of
London and you may well find the driver busy looking at his A to Z
atlas to confirm he is going in the right direction, but if you?ve
negotiated the cost before hand that doesn?t matter so much, it?s just
your time. So in summary, standards vary in this area.
This is a useful two page document which adds more to the above.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/downloads/a-guide-to-taxi.pdf
Finally, there are unregulated mini-cabs. These are individuals who
use their own cars and offer a taxi service. They operate outside of
the law. They are not permitted to ply for hire or tout for business.
Often they have no insurance, or driving licence. If you had an
accident you would not be covered for insurance. They do operate at
Heathrow, often in the terminals where they may approach you and offer
to take you to Central London. Do not use them. They also operate in
Central London late at night. Again do not use them. Several have been
implicated in robberies and rapes. By the way, late at night in
Central London it is common knowledge that black cabs are hard to
find, if you do, they rarely will go ?south of the water?, in other
words, travel over the Thames River to south London. You may be better
off telephoning a private hire operator or going to a railway station
or larger hotel where a cab rank is situated.
These are your other options for getting around London and travelling
from Heathrow to Central London:
The Underground. Generally safe, can be crowded during the rush hours.
Heathrow to Central London approx. 49 minutes. This is their web site.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/
Ticket prices are split into Zones. Zone 1 is Central London, Zone 6
is outer London including Heathrow. You buy a ticket for the number of
zones you wish to travel across. This is a map of the zones.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/lon_con.pdf
You can buy your tickets before you arrive in the UK. This will mean
you will avoid the ticket office queues, especially at Heathrow. I
recommend you purchase a single Zone 1-6 ticket which will get you
from Heathrow to Central London, and also a 3 or 7 day visitor travel
card for the Zones 1- 2 (unless you intend visiting the outer areas in
London). This will give you the following benefits:
Unlimited travel on tube and bus ? just hop and off when you wish -
great for sightseeing.
No queuing for a ticket or worrying which one to buy.
Tickets sent before you arrive.
You book them here.
http://www.ticket-on-line.com/cgi-bin/web_finder.exe
The tickets will also allow you to travel on most London Buses and the
Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Heathrow Express. Operates from Heathrow to Paddington Airport (15
mins). You can book online.
Fares.
+Express Class single £14.00
+Express Class return £26.00
First Class single £23.00
First Class return £44.00
http://www.heathrowexpress.com/
Buses
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/
This other sites may be of interest. I have no personal knowledge of
the two black companies.
http://www.a-london-guide.co.uk/information/default.asp?type=transport&subtype=single&id=30
http://www.londontaxicabs.net/luxury.htm
http://www.londonblackcab.com/index2.htm
I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder
Search strategy
Personal knowledge and knew of the Travel For London web site. |
Clarification of Answer by
answerfinder-ga
on
16 Apr 2005 03:00 PDT
Dear vancouver2010-ga,
I?m pleased you found my answer satisfactory. As for securing a cab in
the afternoon rush hour, much depends on where you are in London. If
you are in a central London side street, a short walk to the nearest
main road will give you the best chance. Take it from me, they will be
always plenty of cabs available during day time hours. The exception
is if it is pouring with rain, then that may be a little more of a
wait. Ask a local the best place to pick up a cab. The alternative is
to telephone for a cab or a private hire vehicle as described above.
Most black cabs now have radio communications with their base. Here
are some additional telephone numbers for black cabs.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/php_getataxi.shtml
Outer London may be a little more of a problem as the black cabs tend
to only ply in the main shopping areas or around the railway stations.
It is best that you pre-book your taxi.
As regards to the comments, they are all valid as each has had a
different experience of London taxis and a different budget. Black
cabs: safe, reliable, clean, knowledgeable driver, allowed to ply for
hire in the street, relatively expensive. Private hire vehicle,
min-cabs: Ordinary saloon cars of varying cleanliness and reliability,
drivers are variable in skill, knowledge and reliability, have to
pre-booked by telephone or walking into one of their offices, cheaper
than black cabs. In conclusion, you get what you want to pay for.
As for the dangers of unlicensed mini-cabs as noted by myself and
kemlo-ga. This articles may interest you.
http://www.met.police.uk/sapphire/feature3.htm
The only way to submit questions directly to me is through Google
Answers. I would be happy to answer any further questions on London
for you. Just put in the subject line of the question: London for
answerfinder-ga , and my fellow researchers will honour your request
and leave the question to me. If I cannot answer it for any reason, I
will immediately say so and you can decide whether to leave it open
for another researcher or cancel it.
answerfinder-ga
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