Metrocab has handed over its first new purpose-built taxi since the Tamworth based company went into administration 14 months ago with a loss of 100 jobs.
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The restructured Metrocab company recently commenced producing spare parts for the aftermarket. Now complete vehicle production has re-started with the aim eventually of producing four to five cabs each week.
The company has delivered its first new Metrocab TTT taxi to franchised dealer, the Birmingham Taxi Warehouse. Outlets in Scotland and London should be operational soon.
Initially one Metrocab taxi is being built each week.
“This is our initial planned production rate,” a spokesman said. This will allow us to slowly establish the business once more. As we have now been out of production for some 14 months the regeneration of the business will have to be time-framed to accommodate the training of new staff and the setting up of a new dealer and service network.
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By GlobalData“Our initial production will be manual transmission vehicles with the automatic variants coming on-line in some eight to 10 weeks’ time.”
Changes to the taxi’s design include the addition of yellow colour sight patches to all passenger seating locations together with matching grab handles, complying with recent Public Carriage Office requirements for the transportation of partially sighted passengers.
Reversing sensors are now available as an option along with cloth trim, a seventh seat and rear compartment carpet.
The rival to London Taxis International’s traditional ‘London black cab’ was originally launched in the 1980s with a Ford diesel engine, but the current Metrocab has a Toyota drivetrain.
