Reliability is one of the most important things when it comes to choosing a new taxi or PHV and most drivers want something that goes the distance without costing the earth.
Buying a new vehicle is the biggest investment a taxi driver has to make for their business and a lot of consideration goes into its price as well as running costs such as fuel, maintenance and car tax. Depending on where they operate, they may also need to consider any fees they have to pay for congestion and clean air zones.
Going the distance
And such diligence paid off for one Iraqi taxi driver who really got his money’s worth after clocking up 1 million kilometres (621,371 miles) in 10 years in his trusted Toyota Corolla which never broke down, despite enduring the extreme heat of rainless summers, and wet and cold winters.
Having bought two previous Corollas in 2009 and 2012 when he became a taxi driver to support his family, Karam Gelanaski knew he was in good hands when he made his most recent purchase in 2014 – and his trusted cab has taken him and thousands of passengers across the Kurdistan region of Iraq during the past decade.
The distance it has travelled and Mr Gelanaski’s care for his cab haven’t gone unnoticed, and Toyota decided to recognise the achievement by giving him the latest Corolla Hybrid.
Reliability
News site Rudaw was on hand to watch the presentation last month and see a delighted Mr Gelanaski get into his new cab for the first time, having chosen his previous Corolla for its “luxury and comfort”.
He said: “I have been driving this taxi for about 10 years, and it has never let me down even for a moment.”
As well as rewarding Mr Gelanaski’s loyalty, Toyota took the opportunity to showcase the reliability of the new Corolla – including “all-weather capability and confident on-road dynamics” – as well as being more environmentally friendly.
These are among the features that will help the Kurdish cabbie enjoy the next 1 million kilometres behind the wheel – something he said he is looking forward to doing.
Recognition
Tadashi Tanimoto, Toyota representative in Iraq, said: “Really, we appreciate Mr Karam’s work. He reached one million kilometers, but it is still in good condition. We appreciate that. So we have decided to present the new Corolla Hybrid which we know he will also look after.”
This really is a fantastic achievement, and Mr Gelanaski fully deserves his gift from Toyota, whose motto for the new Corolla is “Don’t get left behind”.
Taxi and PHV drivers do clock up the mileage, but with regular maintenance and a lot of TLC, many cabs are in great condition for their age an use – especially for vehicles that were built for domestic rather than commercial use.
We recently looked at another cabbie who had clocked up thousands of miles in a purpose-built black cab. Glasgow taxi driver Gary Bowers had done more than 280,000 miles in six years in his LEVC TX. Not only is his black cab reliable, by carefully choosing to charge the EV battery during off-peak times, he has saved more than £85,000 compared to a diesel cab.
Everyone’s circumstances are different and drivers such as these have got their money’s worth from their vehicles. How many miles does your taxi or PHV have on it and how far will it have travelled when you decide to replace it?
