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Tom Dodds on transport matters »I know that taxi rides in the South East and Thames Valley are expensive, so no surprise there.
We were down in Reading for a silver wedding anniversary celebration. Having driven (three of us from Prudhoe, and collecting the in-laws from Sheffield, and a niece later, so there were up to six of us in the Zafira), we had decided to use a taxi from the hotel to the party. The cab (a Transit-type minibus) that turned up to collect five of us was on time, but as we turned onto the M4 I realised that its clutch was slipping. However, the driver managed to coax it along, and all was well. Our return journey, for six people, wasn't.
Our driver simply didn't know the Berkshire lanes around the village where the celebration was being held. Slavishly following his satnav, he went into blind bends far too quickly, twice ending up on the wrong side of the road. He went through give way markings without slowing at all. We sped through the centre of Reading - limit 30mph - at 45 (even though the motorway would have been a shorter route), while our driver took a text message. Having got us into the town centre, we had to turn round when the driver realised he was taking us the wrong way. The vehicle's offside wing mirror was held on with duct tape, and one of the right-hand indicators had failed.
Public transport and taxi operators have just had a once-in-ten-years opportunity to impress. High fuel prices have encouraged many people to try leaving the car at home and take buses, trains and taxis instead. Let's hope the industry hasn't blown it.
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