IN THE NEWS CITY CABS CELEBRATES A CENTURY ON EDINBURGH’S STREETS AND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
company: “It has been a family industry all these years. The number of cabbies and relatives that linked together was incredible, everybody knew everybody. I prob- ably spent more
time
with these people than I did with my own family over the years. City Cabs is definitely a family.”
City Cabs, Edinburgh’s longest- serving taxi firm, is marking its 100th anniversary, reflecting on a century of service and looking ahead to the next. Founded on September 13, 1925, by 25 cab owners as the Edinburgh Licensed Hackney
Carriage
Association, the company aimed to address parking issues and streamline vehicle inspections. It adopted the name City Cabs in 1958 and has operated from its current Atholl Place location since 1982.
The Edinburgh Evening News spoke with two City Cabs drivers, Alex Kemp and Bob McCulloch, about the company’s rich history. Kemp, a driver for 52 years, highlighted the transformative impact of technology. “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,” he recalled. He described the older, more analog system, including the mechanical meters that “worked on a combination of time and distance.”
He emphasised the strong sense of community within the
16
McCulloch, who passed his taxi test in 1979 and is now involved with the City Cabs school and serves as an ambassador, echoed this sentiment. “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,” he said. He traced the history of cab companies in Edinburgh, noting that only City Cabs and Central Cabs remain of the original black cab firms. He also reminisced about the company’s vibrant social scene, including the tradition of cabbie football matches: “Football has really played a big part in the social side of things.” Looking to the future, City Cabs chairman, Gary McFarlane, (pictured), emphasised the company’s commitment to innovation. “City Cabs has always been at the front of technological advancements,” he stated. He also highlighted the company’s efforts to
attract new drivers:
“There are 200 people on the waiting list. That’s the future of City Cabs.” McFarlane outlined plans for a greener future, including transitioning to a fully electric fleet and re-establishing a company garage.
Managing director Lewis Rae explained a recent restructuring designed to
strengthen the
company’s cooperative model. “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,” he said. He added that the company’s new rental model will allow drivers to focus on driving while City Cabs handles maintenance and other administrative tasks. “This new way forward brings everyone together. Building on that family feeling here at City Cabs.” Rae also highlighted the success of the City Cabs app, launched last year. “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,” he said. He noted the shift in how customers book taxis: “Only 32 per cent of our calls come through the phones now, as the app is taking the heavy lifting.” He concluded, “We are part of the Edinburgh community, and it’s important we look after everybody.”
MARCH 2025 PHTM
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