Edinburgh taxi firm City Cabs looks back on 100 great years and forward to the next century on our roads

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City Cabs has been ferrying locals and visitors around Edinburgh for 100 years, and the West End-based company is now looking forward to the next 100 years.

On September 13, 1925, 25 cab owners held a meeting at the Free Gardeners Hall at Picardy Place to discuss forming a company with the aims of abolishing parking on taxi ranks and to supply assistance in getting road worthy vehicles through their annual inspection.

City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane, City Cabs managing director Lewis Rae and City Cabs secretary Imran Saeed.City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane, City Cabs managing director Lewis Rae and City Cabs secretary Imran Saeed.
City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane, City Cabs managing director Lewis Rae and City Cabs secretary Imran Saeed. | National World

The company was named the Edinburgh Licensed Hackney Carriage Association and constituted on October 18, 1925. The company found its first home at Hanover Street in March, 1927, where it stayed until it moved to Morrison Street in the 1960s.

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By that time the company was now called City Cabs as it is now, having changed its name in June 1958, by a vote of 64-4. The company remained at Morrison Street until it moved to its current home at 1 Atholl Place in Edinburgh’s West End in 1982.

One of the first City Cabs taxis, pictured on the streets of Edinburgh in the 1920s.One of the first City Cabs taxis, pictured on the streets of Edinburgh in the 1920s.
One of the first City Cabs taxis, pictured on the streets of Edinburgh in the 1920s. | National World

The company also previously had a garage at East London Street for its fleet of taxis, which closed in the 1990s to make way for Standard Life.

The Evening News caught up with two black cab City Cabs drivers to talk about the Edinburgh taxi company’s colourful history.

Alex Kemp, 73, from Duddingston, has been a taxi driver for an incredible 52 years and he has seen major changes in the industry during that time.

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He said: “Technology is the biggest change. If you look at our set-up now compared to Morrison Street where we had the control centre and three telephonists in a wee room.

“When they put a call out for a job they would use a piece of string on a map of Edinburgh to decide which cab was the closest.

“The garage at East London Street was some place. We had a ‘howff’ where everyone ate their fish and chips while having a break. That’s where you met and caught up with your friends and enemies, and got your car fixed for the price of a cup of coffee, 20p.

“I still enjoy it. The social side is still the same. When you get nice people in the back. You know right away if they want to speak or not. That’s not changed.

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“The meter has though. It’s electric now but it used to be very different. The mechanical meter worked on a combination of time and distance. To calculate the fare it had a clock that had to be wound up by hand to measure the time and a cable from the gear box would measure the distance.

“If the disc was slipping you got a bit of string and had to pull it to get your wage!

“It has been a family industry all these years. The amount of cabbies and relatives that linked together was incredible, everybody knew everybody.

“I probably spent more time with these people than I did with my own family over the years. City Cabs is definitely a family.”

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Football has made up a large part of the social aspect for Edinburgh taxi drivers, with regular football matches including Edinburgh taxi drivers versus Glasgow taxi drivers. Here is a picture of the Edinburgh team taking on Glasgow in the 1970s. Photo kindly supplied by Bob McCulloch.Football has made up a large part of the social aspect for Edinburgh taxi drivers, with regular football matches including Edinburgh taxi drivers versus Glasgow taxi drivers. Here is a picture of the Edinburgh team taking on Glasgow in the 1970s. Photo kindly supplied by Bob McCulloch.
Football has made up a large part of the social aspect for Edinburgh taxi drivers, with regular football matches including Edinburgh taxi drivers versus Glasgow taxi drivers. Here is a picture of the Edinburgh team taking on Glasgow in the 1970s. Photo kindly supplied by Bob McCulloch. | National World

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Bob McCulloch passed his black cab taxi driver test in January 1979, and although no longer on the road, he is heavily involved with the City Cabs school and has an ambassador role at the company. He has also written books about the history of Edinburgh’s taxi trade.

He said: “I have loved working for this company. As Alex said, it’s a real family, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

“City Cabs was the first taxi company in Edinburgh, then came Radio Cabs, Central Cabs, George Hall Cabs and others. Only City Cabs and Central Cabs still remain. There are a lot of private hire cab companies, but only those two black cab companies remain now in Edinburgh.

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“I remember when you used to move up through the ranks and then you would get your name on your taxi, which was great, but that ended in the 90s.

“Covid saw the end of the driving for me, but I have stayed with the company, running the taxi school. I have kept going with tour guide courses as well. I started the taxi history society in the 1980s, when our meet up would always end up in the pub!

“We’ve always had a big social aspect at City Cabs, football was always a big thing for cabbies. They used to play east versus west Edinburgh football matches, then horse drawn versus mechanical.

“They then started a regular Scotland v England cabbies match which was always a big deal. That came about in 1927 when a cabbie drove into the Manchester Ship Canal, so a match was arranged to raise money for the widow, and it has taken place ever since.

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“Edinburgh cabbies have taken on Glasgow cabbies for years also on the football field. Football has really played a big part in the social side of things.”

Taxi historian and City Cabs ambassador Bob McCulloch.Taxi historian and City Cabs ambassador Bob McCulloch.
Taxi historian and City Cabs ambassador Bob McCulloch. | National World

Looking forward to the next 100 years, City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane said: “City Cabs has always been at the front of technological advancements. We always took on new systems that other companies wouldn’t use at first. Then they would follow.

“And we are currently putting people through their black cab tests. There are 200 people on the waiting list. That’s the future of City Cabs.

“Once they pass we can get them in right away, give them a black cab, instead of them having to save the money to be able to afford to buy one. We just rent them out to our drivers.

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“We are trying to knock down these barriers to getting into the trade.

“And we are currently trying to transition our business to a greener future. Owning all our own vehicles eventually instead of some drivers in their own cabs, means we can move to a fully electric fleet sooner.

“We think these changes can take the company onto the next 100 years. We are going down that green route and we are also looking at getting a garage again so we can keep all the cabs in the one place.”

City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane is looking forward to the future at the Edinburgh taxi company.City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane is looking forward to the future at the Edinburgh taxi company.
City Cabs chairman Gary McFarlane is looking forward to the future at the Edinburgh taxi company. | National World

City Cabs managing director Lewis Rae explained how a recent change, only signed off in December last year, should also be beneficial for the company moving forward. With its 400 drivers, 400 taxi owners and 40 office staff members all now coming together to build the business.

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He said: “City Cabs has always been a co-operative with taxi owners. Recently we have tried to extend that out to everybody in the company, so any staff member is part of the company.

“Everyone in City Cabs can be a shareholder in the company if they want to be. Instead of just taxi owners. They can be part of the family. So everyone will be involved.

“A driver at City Cabs loves to drive a taxi, but they don’t like dealing with insurance companies, repairs etc. The future with us renting out our taxis means our staff only have to worry about the actual driving, we’ll take care of everything else.

“This new way forward brings everyone together. Building on that family feeling here at City Cabs.”

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While looking back on 100 great years, City Cabs is now looking forward to the next 100 years providing a taxi service in Edinburgh.While looking back on 100 great years, City Cabs is now looking forward to the next 100 years providing a taxi service in Edinburgh.
While looking back on 100 great years, City Cabs is now looking forward to the next 100 years providing a taxi service in Edinburgh. | National World

And Lewis also highlighted another recent positive change at City Cabs which will help secure the company’s next 100 years. The City Cabs App was launched last year, making life easier for customers, office staff and drivers.

He said: “We went from 16,200 app users in August to 45,632 now. Our app is as good as Uber and customers are responding well to it.

“Only 32 per cent of our calls come through the phones now, as the app is taking the heavy lifting.

“If 100 people want a taxi at the same time at the same place, say after a game at Murrayfield, we couldn’t deal with that on the phones, as we only have eight lines. Now all 100 people can book on the app and get a taxi right away.

“More and more people use it now. Some people will always use the phone and that’s fine. We are part of the the Edinburgh community, and it’s important we look after everybody.”

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