Minicabs

I've been updating my records of minicab firms and I list below ones that have IG11 postcodes. I have not checked the information, neither can I personally vouch for / recommend any of them.

I got some of this information from several on line directories, all doing the same thing, but rivals to each other and presumably holding the information separately. None of them had all the information shown here. That's a bad start.

Then we have to consider that for the 10 companies (or company names - some seem to share a postal address) show below there are 17 phone numbers. This isn't competition, it's just poor overall service caused by confusion and poor information. Many other companies show when you search on line for cab companies in Barking / IG11, because they all want you to book with them, of course. One company (not listed) even has multiple web addresses, with different place names in, and claims to have the biggest fleet of minicabs in Barking, or whatever area you have typed in! If they are a portal for other minicab firms, then perhaps this claim is supportable on that ground, if it is not true in the strict sense.

I wrote over a year ago (http://stibasa.blogspot.com/2009/12/transport-software.html) about software (Mentor Intellifleet) that  intelligently manages taxi fleets logistically. (This is not an advert - other suitable software may be available). Surely there is a need to reduce the number of phone numbers for taxi firms (more customer friendly) for starters, and them to arrange dispatch of a suitable vehicle that is near the pick-up and available in time to complete the journey by the target destination arrival time, or pick up the traveller soonest for asap dynamic bookings. I am not saying that scaling up operations like this is easy, but it's possibly something TfL could have a go at.Cabwise seems to be a start - http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/taxisandminicabs/taxis/default.aspx

TAXI/MINICAB FIRMS IN IG11

A-to-B Minicabs             020 8594 5536, 020 8594 9290
Best Way Cars                020 8594 8844, 020 8507 3303, 020 8593 4414    
Essex Minicabs                020 8591 9000
Gateway Cars                  020 8591 7000, 020 8591 4444
Hawk Cars                      020 3371 1551
I'M Cars Ltd                    020 8594 4996
Ripple Cars                      020 8594 2553, 020 8594 2045
S.A.M Cars                     020 8594 9394, 020 8594 9395
Thatched House Car Hire 020 8594 4444, 020 8591 2721
Westbury Cars                 020 8594 2045