Hackney cabs offer trips into town for £1

Dec 24 2009 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

HACKNEY Cab drivers have got into the Christmas spirit by offering journeys into town for £1.

Cabbies in Chester are working in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council to launch the ‘Town for a Pound’ scheme.

If a black cab is on its way back to the city centre from a taxi job with it’s ‘for hire’ light on and is displaying a yellow £ sticker on the windscreen, it can be flagged down and the driver will take you to town, for a pound per person.

Children accompanied with an adult go free and the scheme will run indefinitely.

Council leader Mike Jones said: “This is a fabulous idea, especially in the run up to Christmas. I am sure that the scheme will be well used by Cestrians who will be able to see the £ stickers in empty hackney vehicles en route to the city centre.

“The pound coin fare not only gives the taxi driver something towards the cost of petrol but also is a 100 percent green initiative.”

Richard Barker, chairman of the Chester Licensed Hackney Association said: “This new service for the public is a great idea and a new way of getting into the city.

“It is good for the environment because there is less pollution and could involve residents’ cars being left at home.

“There are many plus points – it is good for the drivers during this recession and for the public as well.”