Taxi drivers in London and Edinburgh raise over £6,000 via Poppy Cab Remembrance Day badges

Image credit: Ross Campbell

Taxi drivers in London and Edinburgh have raised over £6,000 for good causes through the sale of Remembrance Poppy Badges.

In years gone by the taxi trade initiative ‘Poppy Cabs’ saw licensed taxi drivers generously providing free transport to veterans attending Remembrance Day services.

However due to the restrictions set in place to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were unable to attend normal Remembrance Day services.

Instead, a specially designed Poppy Cab badge was made available for a minimum donation of £5.

In total £6,270 was raised raised via the Poppy Cab badges. The money will be split between the Royal British Legion (£3,470), Taxi Charity for Military Veterans (£2,300) and the Scottish War Blinded (£500).

Started in 2009, the Poppy Cabs service is seen as an integral part of Remembrance Sunday, involving hundreds of taxi drivers coming together to support the country’s veterans. For the last ten years London’s licensed cabbies have delivered over 10,000 free taxi journeys for veterans on Remembrance Sunday as part of the “Poppy Cabs” initiative.

In recent years over 5,000 veterans have used the free service funded entirely by the drivers themselves, alongside events organised by The Taxi Charity.

Frances Wyhowska, Vice-President Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “Yet again London cab drivers demonstrate their generosity despite these terrible times.

“And thank you too to their colleagues in Scotland for playing their part.”