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News
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Designed
in Britain - made in Turkey |
| A vehicle that has been developed in the West
Midlands and will be powered by an advanced 1.2 litre Orbital
engine sourced from Ford has been displayed in Istanbul. The
project is backed by Arab and Turkish money, so that the Turks
can manufacture a range of vehicles based on this spacious
super-mini style MPV.
One of the main driving forces behind the innovative design is
Geoff Chater, who was instrumental in bringing the Ford FSD
powered, fibre glass Metro-cab taxi to London. He also helped
develop the FX4 in the later stages of its production at
LTI-Carbodies.
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IMZA is one of the new breed of super
mini MPVs that combines the interior space of a large car or
estate in a package that takes the same amount of road space as
a Ford Fiesta.
News has been released that this British design could be
developed into becoming a wheelchair accessible taxicab, with
multiple seating options.
The IMZA will go on sale at lower than usual prices, and it
is anticipated that the projected taxi could also be sold at
very competitive prices.
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A
Wigging in Wigan
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| Cabbies in Wigan are to be given etiquette training
in a bid to make the town more appealing to visitors. Their
local taxi co-operative has suggested that not all drivers are
as smartly dressed and courteous as they might be.
It is recognised that a cab driver is often the first local
person a tourist or business visitor meets on arriving in the
borough. Co-operative chairman Shaun Jenkins said, "We want
to make a good impression, certain standards of dress might
benefit one or
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two of our drivers at present.
Equally important is knowing how to handle people, not being too
Over The Top or surly. The way a first-time visitor is treated at the
start of his or her day could make all the difference as to
whether or not they come back, and could even influence their
decision to recommend Wigan borough to their friends". |
| Pravada
in Glasgow |
| Eileen McAulay, the award-winning Monklandsgate
journalist who is now editor of the tiny East End Independent in
Glasgow, doesn't use the company taxi account often, so she was
stumped when she did need one in a hurry and the dispatcher
requested her password as proof of entitlement. She phoned her
headquarters in Hamilton and was told the password was "The
flowers are blooming in Moscow". |
A bemused Eileen phoned the taxi firm
again and repeated this phrase when asked. There was a stunned
silence, followed by a burst of laughter, "Somebody's
having you on, hen".
The embarrassed Eileen once more contacted HQ and was this
time given the relevant code, and finally her taxi arrived.
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Half a
Million Plus 20% |
| There cannot be many taxi drivers who can claim
they have clocked up enough miles to travel to the moon and back
- in the one car. Yet Roy Chapman of Blackpool has done just
that. His trusty Peugeot 405 has travelled over 600,ooo miles on
the same engine. Former lorry driver Roy keeps his pride and
joy, which he bought when it had already done 40,000 miles, on
the road with regular servicing and very careful driving. The 71-
year old has ferried customers to locations as far afield as
Southampton and the Scottish Highlands, and in spite of its
consumption of 52 miles a gallon, the wonder car guzzles £200 |
in fuel each week. Roy said the
Peugeot had been brilliant, and that the engine had lasted so
long because he has treated it with respect.
With an oil and filter change and an engine steam-clean each
week, it is not surprising his taxi is still in excellent
condition. Roy also changes the cam belt every 50,000 miles and
the diesel and air filter each 30,000 miles. Over the past 18
months the Peugeot has had ten new front tyres and six
rear, new wheel bearings, brake discs and pads, and a new
clutch and gearbox.
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