Skip to main content

Taxi home

Three British men have set a world record for the longest taxi journey ever, raising around €25,000 for charity in the process. The three recently returned to the UK capital following a journey of around 69,000km in their 20 year old London black cab, which they nicknamed Hannah. Had the men paid a taxi fare for the trip, it would have cost around €100,000. During the 15 month journey, the men drove across four continents and passed through 50 countries. They also set a record for the world’s highest taxi j
June 26, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Three British men have set a world record for the longest taxi journey ever, raising around €25,000 for charity in the process. The three recently returned to the UK capital following a journey of around 69,000km in their 20 year old London black cab, which they nicknamed Hannah. Had the men paid a taxi fare for the trip, it would have cost around €100,000. During the 15 month journey, the men drove across four continents and passed through 50 countries. They also set a record for the world’s highest taxi journey, having driven the vehicle to the base camp area of Mount Everest. The trip was not without its difficulties however as the men were arrested in Moscow and were also detained by the Iranian Secret police. The latter were suspicious that the trio might be on a spying mission and one of the men was later deported from Iran on these grounds. But quite why the Iranians thought that spies travelling incognito would choose such a highly distinctive vehicle is not immediately apparent. A brush with the authorities in Moldova however was solved more amicably. Although the men were initially stuck at the border of the country because they had the wrong visas, they were allowed to enter Moldova as the mother of one of the trio knows the nation’s president.

Related Content

  • Right ways to deter wrong-way
    August 6, 2020
    After research, California’s Caltrans is reviewing its highway design standards.
  • 3D PAVING comes to India and is boosting slipforming efficiency
    December 19, 2016
    Situated on India’s northern frontier, the state of Jammu and Kashmir is world-renowned for its aesthetic vistas and captivating landscapes. The arterial roads connecting the city of Jammu to that of Srinagar is a challenge to maintain, being constantly exposed to harsh weather and overburdened with vehicular movement. Leica Geosystems has been involved in the Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, India’s longest road tunnel and which will be part of an alternate route in the region
  • Bridge inspection: destructive versus non-destructive methods
    January 6, 2015
    Tens of thousands of bridges in the United States are in desperate need of repair. But where to begin analysing their deteriorating state? Roger Roberts* investigates tips and techniques for ensuring bridge safety The average age of America’s more than 600,000 crumbling bridges is 42 years – many are 60 to 80 years old. The situation is dire, with many described as functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest edition of its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
  • David Barwell suggests six steps for closing the UK funding gap
    January 11, 2019
    Six steps for closing the UK funding gap Plenty of private money is seeking UK investment opportunities. The government and the infrastructure sector in general must make projects more attractive, writes David Barwell* It is widely acknowledged that the UK faces mounting economic, environmental and social problems if the nation's infrastructure fails to meet present and future demands. Government estimates propose that almost €561 billion is required to bridge the infrastructure funding gap. As part o