TAXIS ARE BACK! Black cabs return to provide new local taxi rank service at London Luton Airport

Image credit: LEVC

London Luton Airport has announced the return of a new, and now greener, local hackney carriage service at the terminal.

The move, as part of a joint new partnership agreement signed by the the owners and operators of London Luton Airport and the taxi industry, is aimed at supporting a sustainable aviation system in Luton and local jobs through the ongoing pandemic, the recovery and beyond.

The taxi rank has initially been located in the passenger drop-off zone, and during 2022 will move to a specially-constructed and dedicated area immediately outside the terminal.

Already 40 drivers attached to the Luton Hackney Carriage Association have obtained permits, and it is expected numbers will increase to around 100 over the next 12 months.

Nine of the new taxis are fully electric and the rest meet the latest carbon-efficient Euro 6 standards. This already represents an investment of more than £800,000 by the taxi trade, and the figure is expected to pass £1.5m in 2022.

All the vehicles are fully accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair users and people with guide dogs. Drivers have signed up to a service charter, including smart dress code, with all vehicles also accepting credit cards and providing USB charging points.

The local hackney carriages will operate alongside the executive vehicle service currently provided by Addison Lee.

Councillor Javeria Hussain, Chair of Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns the airport, said: “This is a hugely welcome step to support local employment as our company focuses on demonstrating with everything that we do how we are much more than an airport, and continuing to provide maximum economic and social benefit into the local area."

Councillor Hazel Simmons, Leader of Luton Council, said: “We know how important our airport is to local people, supporting frontline services, improving the lives of people most in need, and supporting the livelihoods of thousands of families. This is very welcome good news for our town’s hard-working taxi drivers.”

Luton Council cabinet member Councillor Javed Hussain added: “This is a win-win, improving emissions for Luton residents, and providing employment for our delighted local taxi drivers and an extremely high level of service for airport customers with fares regulated by the council.”