Black cab clocks up a million miles on the streets of Edinburgh
A SCOTS cabbie’s taxi has clocked one million miles, equivalent to flying to the moon and back... twice.
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Albert Smith bought his black cab in 2001 expecting it to last him three or four years. But, eighteen years later, the taxi – which he bought for £23,500 with 9,000 miles on the clock – is still going strong on the streets of Edinburgh, recently reaching the 1,000,000 milestone. The father-of-three, from Tranent, East Lothian, said the Coventry-built LTI TX1 still has the same Nissan engine he bought it with.
I never expected it to last this long. Incredible, really
He added: “I never expected it to last this long. Incredible, really.
“It’s obviously had a lot of parts, including a new gearbox but it’s the same engine and rear axle. It needs a bit of oil every so often but not as much as you’d think for that kind of mileage. It keeps going pretty well.”
Mr Smith, a taxi driver for 32 years, said the secret to his cab’s longevity is TLC.
He said: “I was a motor mechanic before going on the taxis.
“There’s things I can see and hear before they go wrong.”
The TX1’s days finally look numbered, however, as he looks to trade her in for a more eco-friendly model.
Mr Smith said: “I’ll change it this year because of the council’s emissions targets.”
Tony Kenmuir, of the Central Taxis co-op, said: “He’s a credit to the company.
“There’s a saying a cab isn’t run in until it’s done a couple of hundred thousand miles – but this is exceptional.”