Taxis - Black Cabs, Uber, Illegal Cabbies

Cross posting from e-bike thread. I think it would be great to replace our badly driven, polluting, oversize generally shit black cabs with these. Interested in what people on here think. I've just donated.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/quicab-e-assisted-cycle-taxis-for-london

"Quicab's extraordinary 'taxi-cycle' has the potential to revolutionise door-to-door serviced travel in our congested cities whilst making better use of space, reducing air pollution and providing employment.

Everything about Quicab suggests 'taxi' - its appearance and then the sense of being chauffeured swiftly along city streets to arrive at your destination fresh faced and unruffled in your best business outfit.

Yet the difference is this - Quicab is, well, Quicker. Even at its sedate top speed of 15mph you feel whisked along - using cycleways to bypass traffic jams, legally permitted to travel the 'wrong way' along many City one way streets, and able to go through the cycle gaps provided in road closures. Permeability is key to Quickness, and Quicab takes full advantage. Quicker journeys completed, more passengers carried. The taxi has come of age.

With rising awareness of climate change, air pollution and the effects of congestion in expanding cities, the Quicab offers the prospect of a revolution in personal taxi travel. This includes, of course, employment opportunities for riders and maintenance staff. Passengers are not the only customers - With anchors for cargo-nets, Quicab is able to carry freight, too."

I'm not a big fan of black cabs but these would be a nightmare for cyclists, especially this bit:

Even at its sedate top speed of 15mph you feel whisked along - using cycleways to bypass traffic jams, legally permitted to travel the 'wrong way' along many City one way streets, and able to go through the cycle gaps provided in road closures.

Imagine trying to get past one of these doing a top speed of 15mph as it blocks the cycle lane. I reckon they'd get very unpopular very quickly.

Rickshaws are already a badly ridden (driven?), dangerous pain in the arse and I can't see why these would be any different.

Black cabbies have killed children, pensioners, cyclists and pedestrians.

Rickshaws haven't killed anyone.

Not actually true:
https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/edinburgh-rickshaw-fall-kills-soldier-who-survived-iraq-and-afghanistan-1-797823

But that wasn't really my point. I believe having these things in cycle lanes/spaces would cause problems for cyclists: anything which stymies the growth of cycling is bad.

Just like taxis these 'Quicabs' would be for a privileged minority.

Killed by a rickshaw, I said. If someone is drunk and falls out of a rickshaw they plainly weren't killed by the rickshaw.

Rather think you're splitting hairs there. If you can fall out of a form of private hire transportation and die, is it safe?

Agree. Where I am they have stupid little cars that are allowed in the cycle paths. Some are 2 stroke invalid cars, others are Biro things (like a glorified golf cart) and they bung up the paths.

Imagine trying to get past one of these doing a top speed of 15mph as it blocks the cycle lane. I reckon they'd get very unpopular very quickly.

Rickshaws are already a badly ridden (driven?), dangerous pain in the arse and I can't see why these would be any different.

rickshaws are overpriced novelty rides for tourists, are too wide, too slow, and not properly regulated. It's an obvious comparison but I think this project avoids the problems with rickshaws.

As for dealing with lots of cycle traffic travelling at 15mph: I already deal with slow boris bike riders, cargo bike riders, parents with trailers and child seats. Normalising cycle traffic at a moderate speed is a Good Thing. If I want to do 20+ mph I don;t use the cycle lane.

For a long time I was annoyed at cycle infrastructure, segregated lanes catering for slower cycle traffic. Then I realised it wasn;t for me. It's to encourage new cyclists. I've ridden in London my whole life, can keep up with traffic, can deal with busy junctions. I'd rather deal with a slow moving bike than stinking taxi gridlock.

I disagree, a passenger who fell out of a taxi and died wouldn't be classed as an RTC. If someone falls over leaving a pub the pub didn't kill them. I can't see how that sad event can reflect on the safety stats of rickshaws, despite many of the operators of rickshaws being idiots.

Otherwise black cabbies having heart attacks on the job would count. There are loads of 10 year old black cabs still on the road. Older male drivers on a tight margin, no private pension, 60 hour weeks.

I can't see how that sad event can reflect on the safety stats of rickshaws

Whatever the safety stats of Rickshaws, I feel they don't detract from this project. These E-assist taxis will not be an overpriced unregulated con, which I put in the same bracket as the carriage rides in Central Park NY. They are a serious alternative to motorised transport.

11 and a half months after being knocked off my bike by an Uber car - incurring 5 broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, punctured lung and still no feeling on the left side of my chest - I was finally back on the bike this week for the commute to work.
The driver, the UK-media-bigwig passenger (who opened the passenger door I smashed into without checking to see if anything was coming up the side) and Uber all refuse to accept responsibility for this and are playing the game of blaming each other, which means it's a precarious situation with regards to getting compensation. Takin' all the mofos to court init. But can you imagine if your loved one had been killed, and you had to go through all this shit? Fuck Uber. Take care on the road, people.

I think that the Uber app now has a warning that the stop is along a bike route, and to watch out for cyclists when you open the door. Wonder when they put that in place?

Might suggest that they try to shift blame onto the passenger, but if they didn't have that warning when your accident happened there must be a reason why they then programmed it in.

Yes, I've seen this on the app subsequently - not long after we lodged our claim , actually.

I think the driver (and his car insurers) is definitely responsible - but, we'll have to haul them in front of a judge before they'll concede.

You didn't post about it at the time, did you? I imagine you may have had other priorities. Where did it happen?

Doorings are often horrible. They're not that frequent, but disproportionately the cause of very serious injuries.

Sorry to hear you're having to go through all this rubbish, when doorings should really be completely clear-cut cases. All power to your elbow in the legal proceedings.

Thanks mate!

Hm. I don't know anything about that firm. If in doubt, I'd always go with one with a proven track record.

I take it because of the ongoing case, you can't say where it was, either? Don't worry if not, of course. Just saw your edit.

I know, I wish I'd taken a more methodical approach to my selection. Too late now, so fingers crossed he comes through for me.

Ha!

It was a night and a half.

The A&E I visited only spotted my dislocated shoulder, so sent me home after resetting it with the broken ribs, a punctured lung and internal bleeding. When, next day my horrified GP sent me to the local hospital, they then stuck a blood drain in the wrong place, which then led me to be operated on again the following evening to rectify the original fuck up.

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in hospital...apart from the searing pain, of course.

At least it doesn't seem to have had a material impact on your gallows humour. :)

Hope you continue to heal up.

Jesus, sounds like you’ve got the makings of a malpractice case to go alongside the dooring case

Thank you - ha ha, yes, my humour was my only comfort.

Checked it out - was advised at the time that only if they chop off the wrong leg can you claim. Although, I'm looking into the fact that the right side of my chest still has no feeling after 11.5 months. Could be a go-er.

If you're in any way identifiable through your profile and what you post on here (and bearing in mind the specifics you give of the accident, you probably are!) I'd edit some of this particular post...

This is in no sense a criticism, but all sensible lawyers google around their case nowadays to see if there is anything publicly available that they can use.