Monday, December 11, 2006

Bicycle Taxi

(click on images to enlarge)

At the AltCar Expo, I interviewed the owner of Euro Taxi. They are the first taxi company in Santa Monica to advertise the use biodiesel powered taxi's. They currently have a fleet of four taxi's and want to expand the number in the fleet that burn biodiesel.

I presented the suggestion that Euro Taxi consider some kind of program of the vehicles including portable bicycle racks, which could accomodate at least two regular diamond frame bicycle.

The racks are lightweight, can be stowed in very compact space. My suggestion was politely received.

Perhaps, I am hopeful that we see taxi's in Santa Monica and the westside that, defacto, provide bicycle carrying racks, for the weary cyclist, or the cyclist with the broken down bike.

In countries around the world, including our neighbor, the new nation of Quebec has multiple taxi companies that advertise the service of including taxi's in their fleet that carry bicycles.

Some carry them on the rear through a removable, off-the-shelf, bicycle rack system. And some use the over the roof, more permanent bicycle rack system.

Some Cities and countries that have bicycles on Taxi programs include:

Montreal Quebec
Queensland , Austrailia
Copeenhagen, Denmark
BIKE+TAXI

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