As One Door Closes…
Reporter David Millward ©
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/ R Q G R Q 7 D [ L & R P S D Q \ � (LTC) - or Love and Tender Care - in ensuring that
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I U R P & K L Q D D Q G * H H O \ D W D P R U H F R P S H W L W L Y H S U L F H Z K L F K Z L O O E H S D V V H G R Q
to the customer, although any price drop is highly unlikely as current brand
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K H O S H G / 7 , � V � Q D Q F L D O S R V L W L R Q D Q G D V - R K Q 5 X V V H O O V W D W H G “We need to
U H F R X S R X U O R V V H V � In addition, to secure a strong customer base LTI
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F R P S D Q \ R Z Q H G V L W H L Q 6 F R W O D Q G E X W G L G Q � W V S H F L I \ Z K H U H
% \ E U L Q J L Q J D O O V D O H V D Q G S D U W V I X Q F W L R Q V L Q W R D R Q H W L H U V \ V W H P / 7 , Z L O O
they say, have the opportunity to better tailor their service to the trades
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/ 7 , Z L O O K D Y H W K H R S S R U W X Q L W \ W R H Q V X U H F R Q V L V W H Q F \ R I W K H T X D O L W \ R I V H U Y L F H
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U H T X L U H P H Q W V
The London Taxi Company
For some reason or other, many in the trade condemn and are concerned
At a recent LTI Press Conference, John Russell CEO of Manganese
D E R X W W K H 9 0 0 R W R U L ( Q J L Q H D Q G Z K D W S O D Q V / 7 , K D Y H I R U D Q \ I X W X U H S R Z H U
Bronze announced radical and imminent changes, restructuring and
W U D L Q R I W K H 7 ; - R K Q 5 X V V H O O V D L G W K D W W K H \ D U H K D S S \ Z L W K W K H & K L Q D
re-branding of the company: London Taxis International. Many of you –
Geely progress and vehicles have successfully rolled out into the eastern
W K U R X J K U D Q N J R V V L S D Q G � & K L Q H V H � Z K L V S H U V D U H Q R G R X E W D Z D U H W K D W / 7 ,
markets, adding that they have no plans to change the VM Motori engine
have given 12-months notice to all their UK Independent Main Dealers,
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such as: KPM in London, TaxiFix in Liverpool, Patons in Scotland, Smith
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Voyager vehicles - is here to stay for the foreseeable future as they have
& Humphrey in the Southern Counties and Conders in Peterborough.
H Y H U \ F R Q � G H Q F H L Q L W
+ R Z H Y H U / 7 , � V � L Q K R X V H � ' H D O H U V K L S V L Q 1 R U W K / R Q G R Q % L U P L Q J K D P
/ H H G V D Q G 0 D Q F K H V W H U Z L O O U H P D L Q L Q R S H U D W L R Q D I W H U W K H Q R W L F H S H U L R G
John Russell concluded: � : H D U H S U H S D U H G W R E H M X G J H G R Q R X U I X W X U H
D Q G Z L O O F R Q G X F W D O O V D O H V Z L W K D Q L Q F U H D V H G V D O H V I R U F H $ I W H U V D O H V Z L O O E H
S H U I R U P D Q F H Z K L O H D G G U H V V L Q J S D V W L V V X H V D Q G P R Y H I R U Z D U G W R P D L Q W D L Q
S U R Y L G H G W K U R X J K W K H H [ L V W L Q J 0 2 V L J K W V D V Z H O O D V D Q H Q K D Q F H G 6 H U Y L F H
W K H O R Q J H Y L W \ D Q G I X W X U H R I R X U E X V L Q H V V Z K L O H V W U L Y L Q J W R G H O L Y H U D � � U V W F O D V V �
' H D O H U 1 H W Z R U N
S X U S R V H E X L O W Y H K L F O H W R R X U F X V W R P H U V � Z K R D U H Y H U \ L P S R U W D Q W W R X V �
“…We have served 12-months notice of , Q G H H G Z R U G V I U R P D F R P S D Q \ W K D W D U H S H U K D S V R Q W K H Y H U J H R I
termination on all Independent Dealership
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S X E O L V K H G R Q - X O \ F O L F N R Q W R W K H 0 D Q J H Q H V H % U R Q ] H Z H E V L W H I R U
Networks because the market could not
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sustain the current franchise structure and
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allow us to make the customer service
& R P S D Q \ � W K H E H V W R I O X F N L Q W K H I X W X U H � D Q G K R S H W K D W W K H \ J H W E D F N L Q
the black, so to speak. But as some have been saying recently, has the
improvements necessary…” K R U V H D O U H D G \ E R O W H G � "
John Russell told Taxi Talk Magazine: “We have served notice of
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P D U N H W F R X O G Q R W V X V W D L Q W K H F X U U H Q W I U D Q F K L V H V W U X F W X U H D Q G D O O R Z X V
W R P D N H W K H F X V W R P H U V H U Y L F H L P S U R Y H P H Q W V Q H F H V V D U \ $ O V R Z H K D Y H
been concerned of the level of service given to our customers by some
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H F R Q R P L F G R Z Q W X U Q F X O P L Q D W H G L Q D G H F L V L R Q W K D W Z D V Q R W U H D F K H G
R Y H U Q L J K W D G H F L V L R Q W K D W Z H Z H U H I R U F H G W R P D N H Z K L F K Z D V Q R W W D N H Q
O L J K W O \ D Q G K R S H W K D W Z H F D Q V W L O O P D L Q W D L Q D Q R Q J R L Q J U H O D W L R Q V K L S Z L W K W K H
Independent Dealerships in the future. We have offered the Independent
Dealers the opportunity to become Service Agents after the 12-months
Q R W L F H K D V O D S V H G D Q G V L Q F H U H O \ K R S H W K H \ Z L O O W D N H X S R X U R I I H U �
John added: � 5 H J D U G L Q J / R Q G R Q D Q G . 3 0 F R Q W U D U \ W R Z K D W V R P H P L J K W
E H V X J J H V W L Q J Z H D U H Q R W W H U P L Q D W L Q J Z L W K . 3 0 E H F D X V H W K H \ K D Y H
H P E U D F H G W K H 0 H U F H G H V 9 L W R L Q D F W X D O I D F W Z H Z H O F R P H L Q F U H D V H G
F R P S H W L W L R Q L Q / R Q G R Q Z K H Q D Q H Z Y H K L F O H V X F K D V W K H 9 L W R 7 D [ L P H H W V
D Q G D G K H U H V W R W K H 0 H W U R S R O L W D Q & R Q G L W L R Q V R I ) L W Q H V V �
/ L N H D Q \ P R W R U P D Q X I D F W X U H U L Q W K H 8 . D W W K H P R P H Q W D Q G L Q Y L H Z R I
Manganese Bronze Holdings Plc CEO John Russell, left,
current aggressive competition, unfair government legislation and over-
shakes hands with Geely Automobile Holdings Limited and
taxing, prudent decisions have to be made for the continuity and future
Shanghai Maple CEO Li Shufu as they unveil the TX4 London
business developments of any company and LTI are no exception.
cab built under a joint venture company during the Shanghai
, Q G H H G Z L W K / 7 , � V S D V W S U R E O H P V Z L W K W K H H D U O \ 7 ; , , D Q G W K H U H F H Q W 7 ;
Auto 2007 held in Shanghai, China, Saturday, April 21 2007.
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