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

  • India rushing to improve its highway system
    February 9, 2012
    Despite the world economic slowdown, India still seems in a rush to improve its highway system as Patrick Smith reports. Later this year India will be seen by hundreds of millions worldwide when the country's capital New Delhi hosts its biggest event ever.
  • Global pressures driving bitumen developments
    June 19, 2015
    A raft of global pressures is driving developments in the materials and equipment we use for the handling, storage and treatment of bitumen. The goal is to achieve better performance and longer life for less financial outlay, and at the same time overcome the challenges of inconsistent and varying bitumen supplies. Kristina Smith reports.
  • Successful Eurobitume conference in Istanbul
    June 26, 2012
    The Eurasphalt & Eurobitume 2012 event in Turkey has attracted record attendance figures - Mike Woof reports A strong focus on sustainability has been the focus for the 5th Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress held in June 2012 at Turkey’s Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress Centre. The conference had as its theme: Asphalt, the sustainable road to success and attracted the highest ever number of attendees for this four yearly event. In one of the opening presentations Turkey’s transport minister, Binali Yildirim, sp
  • PPRS event highlights transport investment shortfall
    April 30, 2015
    The PPRS event in Paris highlighted the need for additional investment in road transportation – David Arminas writes. Consider the global road network. An improved road from one rural African town to another can reduce the journey time from a one-day walk to a one-hour drive. This could save lives through access to a hospital; allow small businesses to work faster by getting in supplies more quickly; allow children to attend a better equipped school. Roads affect society by allowing healthier and bett