The Lowly Cab

In New York City, cabs are an integral part of the public transportation system. While privately owned and operated, cab medallions are tightly regulated and worth their weight in diamonds.

The problem is that since the demise of Marathon Checker, there has been no uniform New York taxicab on the road. The 1991-era Chevy Caprice was as popular as it was ugly, but since then it’s been a hodgepodge of various sedans, Ford Escapes, Toyota Siennas, and others that take a beating and rack up the miles.

In London, which also depends on cabs, there is a brilliant uniformity. The cabs are diesels, so they run forever and are fuel-efficient, they are roomy, and they are built to be cabs and nothing but cabs.

Ford has unveiled a Transit Connect done up like a New York City cab, and it looks pretty sweet. It’s roomy, custom-built for passenger comfort, and fuel-efficient. The little Turkish-built European-style cargo van is built to be abused, and this one is built to run on compressed natural gas, which is efficient and burns cleaner. They are going to sell this thing.

I like it. Good job, Ford.