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news
Addison Lee logo on whiteAddison Lee minicab firm attempts to win over cyclists with new service
Minicab firm, Addison Lee, has announced a new cycling service where its cabs will carry up to two passengers as well as one bike from October 19. It is a move that would have been unthinkable three years ago when the firm’s chairman drew a huge public backlash for his comments about cycling.
"It is time for us to say to cyclists, ‘You want to join our gang, get trained and pay up’,” wrote John Griffin in a 2012 article in Addison Lee’s free customer magazine – a piece in which he also instructed his drivers to illegally use London's bus lanes.
The latter comment resulted in Transport for London securing an injunction that ordered the firm to withdraw his instruction. The comments about cyclists resulted in a widespread boycott of the firm – something they seem to have been working to address ever since. Griffin himself stood down in 2014.
The press release about the new CycleCab service says: "Addison Lee is a strong supporter of London’s cyclists and ensures each of their drivers goes through a cyclist awareness training programme."
The decision to introduce cyclist awareness training came in the aftermath of Griffin’s comments as the firm sought to repair the damage. In the week that the decision was announced, around 200 cyclists had staged a ‘die-in’ outside its offices. At that time, the firm also said that it was considering installing front-facing video cameras in its vehicles to record journeys, meaning that footage could be used to provide evidence in incidents that led to a subsequent complaint from a cyclist.
The new CycleCab scheme is being launched in partnership with Six Day London, an event that will run from October 18-23.
Peter Boucher, Addison Lee’s Chief Commercial Officers said:
“We are delighted to team up with Six Day London to announce the launch of our newest product, CycleCab. Over the past couple of years we have seen an explosion in London cycling which we welcome.
"After consulting with our drivers we have discovered a large demand for this service and we want to make it more accessible for our customers. We are happy to be the first company to bring this product to market and excited to enhance our relationship with London’s cycling community.”
Mark Darbon, CEO of Madison Sports Group, promoters of Six Day London added: "Six Day London is a track cycling event unlike others, and working with a partner such as Addison Lee to support our vision is really important to us. It is also really important that we support them and their work with the CycleCab initiative, which is just part of their ongoing commitment to the cycling community in London."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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20 comments
I got to agree with other commenters who is hink that the market for this service is very small. There are instances where you might want to get a cab with your bike (add the BMXer on their way to Bay 66 on a rainy night to the other examples) but even in London I'm skeptical that sufficient demand exists.
From what I gather, Addison Lee's business model is this: it rents the vehicles to the drivers who then have to work enough to pay the rental and the cut that AL take out of the fare.
The rumour is that, in order to make a living, drivers have to work 60 hours+ a week. As they're minicabs, there's no tachograph and they aren't AL employees so are subject to working time directive.
It's a situation that's pretty much guaranteed to encourage bad driving. See also construction lorries.
From a marketing point of view this looks more like a branding/positioning gimmick than a real proposition - probably trying to undo the damage (self) inflicted by John Griffin.
People ride bikes in London to ride bikes, not to ride halfway and then take a taxi. I can't see what customer need they've identified here that is widespread enough to generate any real income...
For now let's give them the benefit of the doubt but a better judge of their cyclist-friendliness will be our day to day experience with their drivers - if this doesn't improve then we know this new idea is just window dressing...
Quite why you'd be getting a cab when cycling is cheaper and quicker is beyond me (OK, maybe you're bonked, drunk or have had a catastrpoic mechanical....)
But good to see Griffin has stepped down so maybe I'll stop laughing quite so hard every time I overtake one of their drivers.
I don't quite understand why if I have a bike I'd need a cab. Perhaps if I'd just been knocked off and it was damaged...
Don't like to be sceptical but it sounds like marketing to me. AL drivers still drive like they're in some sort of Mad Max race.
Hic!
Why would you want to put your bike in a cab ?
Mechanical failure.
Because you're not dressed for cycling (perhaps in the rain) but want to take your bike with you.
Because you want to travel with someone who doesn't have a bike with them.
Because your pint after work turned into a session and you're not safe to cycle but you need your bike in the morning.
Because sometimes you just can't be arsed.
Isn't this a bit like putting lipstick on a pig considering their antagonistic history with cyclists?
from my experiences of riding every day in London, its the drivers in the Addison Lee people carriers that provide the most 'sketchy' moments for cyclists, rather than black 'hackney' carriage cabs
whether its driving into the bicycle box on a red light, parking in cycle lanes, making lane changes without indicating, half-lane position on dual lane roads, sudden stops, driving whilst using cell phone, etc. basically very poor driving
I've lost count of the number of times I have been waiting at a red light, the lights change to green and the driver in the Addison Lee vehicle has not noticed because he is too busy using his cell phone.....cue honking of horns as drivers behind have also realized!
Their change of heart won't have come about from wanting to be better corporate citizens.. its purely to increase market share, a market they previously (and possibly continue to) think of as scum......
Many cabbies behavior and business practices globally has led to Uber, and now they are crying foul and sucking up..
I'm leaning toward this being them reaping what they have sewn...
An Addison Lee coach knocked my brother off his bike a few years ago. Took him 2 years to get his injuries sorted out and the driver was done for dangerous driving, so he got a substantial payout. He said that the thing that wound him up was that that immediately after the accident, the Addison Lee driver was only interested in contacting his boss, rather than whether my brother was OK.
Will assume the one bike is a tandem.
Give them a chance. Someone might have been sacked. Someone might have been brought in...... Give them a chance to change.
Well yes, John Griffin left last year. If it had been him that had announced this new policy, I'd probably require sedatives to stop myself from laughing.
Addison Lee logo on white ... I'd love to see it on black.
Two cyclists, one cab?
Giggity.
Two people and one bike? Not two people and two bikes?
I assume that the "one bike" is not allowed to be a tandem?
Does anyone else think that, as a cyclist, telling Addison Lee your exact location might be dangerous?
Someone catching on to how many cyclists in London are now boycotting black cabs.