Do you sell Toyotas in London?

[Frimley111R]

If you do you must be a millionaire! I was out near Piccadilly on Friday night and I wouldn't have been lying to say one in every 5 cars was a Prius!! Couldn't believe how many there are there.

[-crookedtail-]

Uber, Uber, Uber!

[thelawnet1]

I don't quite understand the logic, but basically 15,000 people have signed up as Uber drivers to work as gypsy cabbies, basically, for half the price of black cabs. And for some reason, whereas private hire anywhere else uses an Avensis or something like that, to a man they choose the Prius.

I mean it makes sense that they do choose the Prius, instead of gassing us with nasty LTI/LTC diesels, but you wonder why nobody else has gone the same route in the past.

[Emeye]

thelawnet1 said:

I don't quite understand the logic, but basically 15,000 people have signed up as Uber drivers to work as gypsy cabbies, basically, for half the price of black cabs. And for some reason, whereas private hire anywhere else uses an Avensis or something like that, to a man they choose the Prius.

I mean it makes sense that they do choose the Prius, instead of gassing us with nasty LTI/LTC diesels, but you wonder why nobody else has gone the same route in the past.

Is it not to get around the congestion charge? Surely Uber drivers do not get the black cab exemption?

[okgo]

Uber initially dictated that in order to be an Uber driver you had to drive a prius is what one driver told me, I think that has changed as you can be picked up by all sorts now.

Nothing gypsy about it, its a fantastic service and I've not used a black cab since.

[SteveSteveson]

I see quite a few Prius minicabs, both in the UK and in other countries I have been to.

[Baryonyx]

Seeing the Prius flourish as a successful minicab was a factor in my decision to get one next year. If taxi drivers pick them, they must be a viable choice for the commuter car. Much nicer than some awful diesel too, as a passenger and for air quality.

[okgo]

Baryonyx said:

Seeing the Prius flourish as a successful minicab was a factor in my decision to get one next year. If taxi drivers pick them, they must be a viable choice for the commuter car. Much nicer than some awful diesel too, as a passenger and for air quality.

Another factor over the black cab, the prius is a lot more comfortable in the back!!

[thelawnet1]

Emeye said:

Is it not to get around the congestion charge? Surely Uber drivers do not get the black cab exemption?

As I understand it, the Americans pretty much all use Priuses too.

[Quhet]

Is this pistonheads?
Not sure I've seen so much enthusiasm for the Prius before!

[soad]

"The Congestion Charge is an £11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday."

How much?! Thought it was much less...

[nitrodave]

i was chatting to an uber driver the other day about this. They get good deals on hiring the prius which is why many of them have one.

Think it's about £350/month including servicing, insurance, tax, maintenance... everything, all in.

[okgo]

soad said:

"The Congestion Charge is an £11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday."

How much?! Thought it was much less...

It was, but they keep raising it, eventually it will be enough to put people off driving in London, but there are some folk who still like sitting still for hours per day.

[Mr2Mike]

thelawnet1 said:

I mean it makes sense that they do choose the Prius, instead of gassing us with nasty LTI/LTC diesels, but you wonder why nobody else has gone the same route in the past.

One of the taxi firms in Plymouth almost exclusively use the Prius.

[madala]

Frimley111R said:

If you do you must be a millionaire! I was out near Piccadilly on Friday night and I wouldn't have been lying to say one in every 5 cars was a Prius!! Couldn't believe how many there are there.

.......and all of those would have been Private hire and Uber vehicles ....... bds.

[okgo]

madala said:

.......and all of those would have been Private hire and Uber vehicles ....... bds.

Why are they bds, just out of interest?

[thelawnet1]

okgo said:

Why are they bds, just out of interest?

because they are trying to make a living, but someone else already has a more lucrative living doing the same job.

[anonymous-user]

thelawnet1 said:

I mean it makes sense that they do choose the Prius, instead of gassing us with nasty LTI/LTC diesels, but you wonder why nobody else has gone the same route in the past.

They did, back in 2006 http://www.greentomatocars.com/uk/

[thelawnet1]

nitrodave said:

i was chatting to an uber driver the other day about this. They get good deals on hiring the prius which is why many of them have one.

Think it's about £350/month including servicing, insurance, tax, maintenance... everything, all in.

That sound very cheap, I thought private hire insurance was £2k+ on its own.

[f1nn]

Fake Taxi wouldn't be the same it it was filmed in a Prius.