London 'black' cabs exported to Australia

THE LONDON cab is to make an appearance Down Under - but coloured white rather than the traditional black.

The London Taxi Company has exported a test sample of 98 second-hand TX4 taxis to the Western Australian city of Perth where they will under go trials over the next few weeks.

It has been thought fit to paint the cabs white to take account of the perpetual Perth sunshine.

If the trial goes well more cabs will be ordered for other cities, with the state of Victoria expected to be the next area to take the famous UK taxis.

The export order is one of the first to be fulfilled since the relaunch of production by the London Taxi Company at its factory in Coventry last month.

The company's chief executive Evan Simeon said: "The response has been phenomenal. We couldn't have asked for a better welcome. One Perth operator who purchased a fleet of the 50 bright, white used TX4s has already had a stampede of drivers who want to be the first ones to buy a cab and partake in the trial.

"We've had a lot of positive interest from ex-pats, both prospective customers and drivers; what has been especially gratifying are the offers from ex-pat London Taxi drivers who not only want to buy one, but have also offered their services to train our Australian drivers on everything from the service to vehicle operation."

By Peter Woodman, Press Association Transport Correspondent