Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

You'll still need to stand around waiting for one at peak times - unless
there is an vast excess. So them driving around looking for fares at other
times. So why not just spend that time walking to the station, etc.
They're rarely far away in most parts of London. Or take a bus to the
station.


Taxis cruising for fares when not busy, is too expensive in fuel costs.
Taxi's normally like to park near to where their customers want them.
Many parts of London are at least 1/2+ a mile to the nearest bus stop,
in winter in the drizzling rain, for old people or women with young
children, on buses with no conductor or room for pushchairs etc? I hoped
we had achieved improvements in the peoples living standards in the last
50 years, it's beginning to appear that I am wrong. I'm not prepared to
travel by public transport under those conditions. If I lived in London,
I'd call a cab, which is probably much more polluting than any car. I
did too much communal traveling as a child to be prepared to suffer that
much today. If you wish to travel on the multiply infectious bus/train
system, where one person sneezing in a carriage can infect 50 others--well!

You have still to my mind been unable to justify travel on London
public transport systems paid for by other people.

Regards
Capitol