Azerbaijan to sign a new contract for purchase of new batch of London taxis

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 26 / Trend E. Ismayilov/

The Baku Taxi Company will start talks in January-February 2012 to sign new contract on purchase of London Taxi TX4s, company's head Ilgar Gasimov told Trend on Monday.

During the next few days the last batch of 500 London Taxi TX4s will be delivered to Baku, Gasimov said.

Currently the total number of violet taxis in Baku is 500.

New taxis will be delivered by the end of this year or in early January 2012. After both sides meet their contract obligations talks for the signing of new contract will start, he said.

The first contract provides for supply of 1,000 London Taxi TX4s. At the end of the talks the total number of cars to be delivered under the new contract will be determined, Gasimov said.

Thus, 3,500-4,000 taxis will get passenger traffic license and the company will try to make London Taxi TX4s the biggest carrier.

The cars that will render services to the passengers of our capital should be comfortable, safe and should operate with taximeters. London Taxi TX4s meet all these requirements, Gasimov noted.

The company is ready to grant these cars to all persons interested on quite favorable terms, including companies and individuals, he said.

Baku Taxi Company also plans to change fares. However, this issue is still under consideration, Gasimov noted.

For the development of the Azerbaijani Transport Ministry's program to replace the taxi park in Baku with London Taxi TX4s new private company Baku Taxi Company was created.

A supply agreement was signed with the Shanghai LTI Company, a joint venture between the Manganese Bronze Holdings and the Chinese Geely Automobile Holdings Limited. It is the company's largest contract at a total cost of about $27 million.

Currently fares in Baku Taxi Company's cars are as follows:

The official exchange rate is 0.7863 AZN/USD.