By Karin Bendixen
Photos: London Taxis International

"User Requirements before Pen to Paper" says Jevon Thorpe, Designer of the World’s most Accessible Taxi-cab.

It is Monday morning and “Bob the Cab Driver” is negotiating his TX1 cab expertly through the busy streets of London on his way to the London Eye.

Accessible Taxi from London

Tourists are fond of the London cab, also known as the Black Cab. There is plenty of space to stretch your sore feet and to hold all those bags crammed with English specialities and impulse purchases you are already regretting having indulged in during your day’s shopping spree. But also wheelchair users, walking impaired people and parents with kids appre-ciate the redesign of the London taxi, which has turned it into the world’s most accessible taxi.

But the great thing is that this is the standard: this taxi is one of 19,500 accessible taxi-cabs in London.

A Selling Feature

When the British Parliament passed the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995, it implied that all London taxi-cabs must be accessible by 1st January 2000.

This was the first stage of a challenge accepted by London Taxis International in Coventry, one hour’s drive from London. An investment of £20 million sterling (32 million Euros) in design and introduction resulted in the new accessible TX1. An alternative to London Transport, whose buses and underground system are largely inaccessible. For London Taxis International, the cab’s most important selling features are its accessibility and manoeuvrability.

Appreciated Details

"Bob the Cab Driver" (Mr. M.R. Prestidge) is full of praise for the TX1’s manoeuvrability. And he knows what he is talking about, for he has been a London taxi driver for 31 years. He also gets the impression that customers are pleased with the new design.

Andrew Walker is a frequent customer of London taxis. An architect and a wheelchair user who lives in Lon-don, he believes that the TX1 is about the best example the UK can muster of inclusive design – Design for All.

Listing its good features, Andrew Walker mentions that the TX1 is higher and wider than the old models and has not only access for power chairs, but also a swing-out seat with strategically placed handles, an integral child seat, which is built into the central armrest, an induction loop for communication with the driver, a pull-out under-floor ramp, a make-up mirror adjacent to the reading light and even a recharging point for mobile phones. The easily graspable door handles are lit up when the taxi is for hire, and seat edges, grab bars and sills are all highlighted for ease of recognition.

Born into it

Jevon Thorpe is the designer behind the TX1 and Managing Director of London Taxis International.

"Personal experience has made me interested in Design for All. I was born into it, so to speak. My father suffers from paraplegia and is a wheelchair user. I have seen all the obstacles presented to wheelchair users by the transportation sector – by cars, buses, trains and planes alike."

As a consequence, Jevon Thorpe found it an obvious opportunity and challenge to help solve these problems.

The Biggest Change ever

"It must be a car fit for its purpose," comments Jevon Thorpe.

"It must not look like a vehicle for disabled people. It must be capable of picking up passengers from everywhere in town, and it is important that it has access from the side and not from behind. It was extremely important to integrate access and fit it into the overall design of the cab."

Jevon Thorpe does not hesitate to say that for London Taxis International it is an advantage to make Design for All, based on the Act.

"Accessibility is the biggest change ever. Many manufacturers hesitate to introduce these features, but they re-ally should consider them advantages. We ourselves will continue to gather experience and develop in the field of Design for All," he mentions.

A Number of Considerations

"User requirements before pen to paper" is a statement of principle for Jevon Thorpe, who believes that many designers and architects

Published in Crisp & Clear No. 2, July 2000