Motoring
Nissan Unveils Its New London Black Cab
LONDON — Japanese auto maker Nissan Motor Co. on Monday revealed the new face of its Taxi for London as it pushes into an increasingly competitive market for the venerable black cab.
Nissan cabs based on the car maker’s NV200 compact-van platform are already on the streets in New York and Tokyo, but the model has been redesigned to look more like the traditional London taxi. Changes include round headlights and a remodeled grille, LED lighting to improve visibility of the traditional taxi sign and new front-bumper panels.
It also conforms with London’s strict licensing rules for vehicles to be used as cabs, including the requirement for a maximum 25-foot (7.5-meter) turning circle, which allows taxis to make U-turns in many of London’s narrow streets.
The Japanese mass-market maker expects its first London cabs to roll off the production line in December. The base vehicle will be produced at its existing plant in Barcelona and modifications added in England, but not necessarily at its current facility in Sunderland, where it already produces more than half a million cars a year.
“There will be some additional jobs, but we don’t have details yet and we have yet to decide on where the work will be done,” said Andy Palmer, chief planning officer for Nissan.
Nissan is entering the market just as the original maker of London’s famous black cabs has been restored to life by Chinese auto manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Geely rescued what is now known as London Taxi Co. from bankruptcy last year and restarted production of LTC’s TX4 cab in September, targeting sales of 2,000 in the first year. Nissan also is up against competition from Daimler AG DAI.XE +0.50% ‘s Mercedes-Benz, which launched its Vito Taxi in June 2008.
There are 25,000 licensed cabdrivers and 22,500 licensed vehicles in London, according to Transport for London, the local government body responsible for the city’s transport system. The traditional London cabs now made by LTC, known as Hackney Carriages, account for 20,495 of them, with the balance consisting of Mercedes-Benz’s Vito model. Total annual vehicle sales are around 1,200.
“We expect to take a pretty reasonable slice of the market,” said Mr. Palmer. He declined to comment on the number of taxis Nissan planned to produce annually.
Nissan said its Taxi for London will be more fuel-efficient and emit less carbon dioxide than the traditional London cabs.
Mr. Palmer said the cab will be “competitively priced—cheaper than the LTC cabs.”
LTC cabs sell for £32,995 ($53,956) to £36,790, while the Mercedes-Benz Vito is priced at £42,370. Industry insiders expect the Nissan to cost around £30,000.
“If it comes in at that price, it will take 20% to 25% of the market in the first year and more in following years,” said Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association.
“I will certainly take a serious look at the Nissan taxi, because it is supposed to be twice as economical as other cabs,” said Mark Hind, who has been a London cabby for 13 years.
Nissan, an early mover in electric vehicles with its Leaf model, is also developing a 100%-electric taxi, the e-NV200, which it expects to have on London’s streets ahead of Mayor Boris Johnson’s target of 2020 for all London minicabs and taxis to produce zero emissions.
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has ended contracts with taxi rank and terminal operators due to their failure to meet engagement terms and conditions.
Mr. Ubokutom Nyah, the Mandate Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, FCTA, made this announcement during a meeting with managers of these terminals and taxi ranks in Abuja.
Nyah clarified that due to the operators’ failure to fulfill their engagement terms, the FCTA had to terminate their contracts.
He instructed them to transfer control of the ranks to the Administration within three months, starting from Nov. 21.
He lamented the presence of unauthorized motor parks in the city and assured the readiness of the Administration to establish proper taxi ranks and terminals in the capital.
He revealed that personally visiting the city’s taxi ranks, terminals, and unauthorized motor parks gave him direct insight into the poor condition of these facilities.
He emphasized that as the federal capital city, Abuja deserves better, highlighting that the poor condition of these facilities attracts various criminal elements.
He said “We must rid Abuja of all these. I have gone round the taxi ranks, and of all the places I visited, not one is worthy to be called even a village motor park.”
The Mandate Secretary stressed that the intention wasn’t punitive; rather, it aimed to revamp the sector, introduce new engagement terms, and modernize taxi ranks and terminals in the federal capital.
He also highlighted the plan to increase the number of terminals and ranks where necessary, which would positively impact the administration’s revenue.
He emphasized that this measure was part of a broader effort to eliminate illegal motor parks in Abuja and curb the associated criminal activities.
In response, Mr. Adebisi Lawal, the Operator of Jahi Taxi Rank, praised the administration’s initiative to modernize the taxi ranks and terminals.
Lawal urged the administration to prioritize current operators’ involvement in the selection of new developers for the modernization of the taxi ranks and terminals.
It was a show of power at the Ojota area of Lagos on Monday as soldiers pummeled an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA).
Eyewitness accounts claim that the ugly scene played out around 8am, and saw about eight soldiers pounce on the yet to identified LASTMA official, while his colleagues took to their heels.
The video of the melodrama has gone viral, where the LASTMA official was appealing to the soldiers, who appeared bent on ‘teaching him a lesson’.
This onslaught comes on the back of a reported assault of a soldier at the same location by LASTMA officials last week.
It would appear that what played out today was the army asserting its authority and defending their khaki as the armed soldiers carried out what looked like a revenge mission.
Eyewitnesses further averred that the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, after the soldiers left the scene.
It was gathered that the authorities at LASTMA has reported the incident to the military authorities who are said to be looking into the matter.
Meanwhile many members of the public are rejoicing that the soldiers have taught the crude LASTMA official that power is stronger than power, for all their atrocities against motorists on Lagos roads.
The impact of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has seen the pump prices of the product skyrocket with a corresponding increase in the cost commercial transportation in Nigeria.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), intra-city bus transportation fares across Nigerian cities, measured between May and June 2023, increased from N649.59 to N1,285.41 in June 2023.
This translates to 98 percent growth or N635.82 within the month in view.
The NBS made the data available in its Transport Fare Watch report for June 2023.
In the report, the NBS also shared the breakdown of bus journeys within the cities per drop for constant routes; bus journey intercity (state route); charges per person, amongst others.
On a year-on-year basis, the report has it that bus fares rose by 120.63 percent from N582.61 paid by commuters in June 2022.
The average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop rose to N5,686.49 in June 2023 compared to N4,002.16 in May 2023 indicating an increase of 42.09 percent, month-on-month.
The report read, “The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased by 97.88 per cent from N649.59 in May 2023 to N1,285.41 in June 2023.
On a year-on-year basis, it rose by 120.63 per cent from N582.61 in June 2022.
“In another category, the average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop rose to N5,686.49 in June 2023, indicating an increase of 42.09 on a month-on-month basis compared to N4,002.16 in May 2023.
“On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 55.25 per cent from N3,662.87 in June 2022.”
Biztellers reported that the twin forces of forex pressure and increasing price of Brent in the global market would likely see the pump prices of petrol, increased again in no distant time in Nigeria.
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