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Love of black cabs behind developer's booking plan

Ushma Mistryin Coventry
News imageBBC There is a silver black cab in the background max parsons is wearing a cream jacket and is standing to the left of it next to the cab driver Reza who is wearing a grey T-shirt and black jeans. To the right of the taxi is Ian bullock who is wearing a lilac shirt and Safwan in all black clothingBBC
Max Parsons (centre, left) has used black cabs most of his life and said he wanted to do something to support the trade for drivers like Reza (left)

A Coventry man says it was his love of black cabs that drove him to help struggling taxi drivers in the city by developing a new app to allow their customers to book with them directly.

Max Parsons, from Hillfields, developed his Artificial Intelligence direct booking tool, which uses WhatsApp, specifically for black cabs.

Drivers of the vehicles told the BBC their usual level of trade in the city has dropped over the years due to an increase in the cost of living and competition from ride hailing apps.

"I've been a fan of black cabs for quite a long time and I realised how much in decline they were so," Parsons said, about what drove his idea.

"As a developer, I thought, 'if there's anything I can do to improve their situation, I should try to help them'."

There are currently 326 licensed black taxis in Coventry, compared to 855 in 2016.

The software developer has created a community interest company called Black Cabs Unite for the scheme.

News imageA row of black cabs are parked on a Coventry city centre street. They are all black with signs on top that say "taxi"
The Black Cabs Unite app is still in its very early stages of development, Parsons admitted.

Parsons said in his long-term plan, once the system was fully operational, customers could book a black cab directly for a fixed fare for their journey.

The full fare would go to the drivers but customers would be charged a fee for the service.

While the project is still in its early stages, about 20 drivers are trialling the app.

They were given business cards with their own QR codes which people scan to access the new system.

The biggest impact on black cabs in Coventry over the last few years has been the influx of private hire cars, licensed by other West Midlands councils, according to some drivers who spoke to the BBC.

In 2024, the City of Wolverhampton Council issued 8,563 taxi licences in the first five months of the year, compared to 27 issued by Coventry City Council for the same period.

Reza, a black cab driver in Coventry for more than 20 years, said the competition from out-of-town taxis and ride-hailing apps had dented his trade.

"Business is very difficult for us at the moment thanks to the economy and inflation and customers are looking for cheaper options," he admitted.

He is one of the cabbies trialling the new booking system.

"We need time for people to see what we're doing and to put their the trust in us," Reza said.

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