'I'm a taxi driver - Passengers always make this common mistake'

A London taxi driver has noticed dozens of passengers make the same basic error when ordering a cab.

By Luke Chillingsworth, Cars Reporter

tom taxi driver london

'TomtheTaxiDriver' has shared a simple tip (Image: 'TomtheTaxiDriver')

Passengers always make the same common mistake after calling for a taxi, according to cabbie ‘TomtheTaxiDriver’.

The YouTube star admitted customers can add time and money to their journeys the moment they enter a black cab by failing to mention where they are going.

Instead of disclosing the exact shop or theatre they are visiting, many simply tell the driver a street name which can cause problems.

‘TomtheTaxiDriver’ stressed customers can often have “quicker” journeys if they are more specific as drivers can tailor a journey to reach that location faster.

He warned this is more of an issue in Central London where roads are much longer and very busy.

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Passengers should be more specific with taxi drivers (Image: Getty)

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: "A lot of it can come down to communication… For people in the UK, give the driver as much information as possible.

“If someone said ‘oh can you take me to Oxford Street’, Oxford Street is a very long street.

“Depending on where I am there could be multiple points I could drop you that are a lot quicker or a lot longer.

“If you're very specific to the driver and say ‘I want to go to Oxford Street because I specifically want to go to this shop’ then that really helps.”

taxi driver london

Drivers can save time and money by following the advice (Image: Getty)

However ‘TomtheTaxiDriver’ has also stressed the same tip can be super helpful for tourists in London.

He revealed visitors can prevent getting lost in the big city by being open with their cab driver who may be able to provide extra instructions after paying for the journey.

This can include extra tips on how to get to a venue which may not be accessible via the road.

Likewise, it could prevent people from missing the start of a packed show if the traffic is bad.

He added: “The same goes if you're going to a certain theatre. If I wanted to take you to the door. It might add another five minutes to the journey, possibly another two or three quid.

“But if you're specific and say ‘I need to go to this theatre’ then I can drop short and say ‘well actually if I drop you on this side of the road you can just use the crossing and make your way across’.

“So specifics are good really, Just communicating it to the driver really, just being open. That really helps the driver out because it means they can get onto their next job as soon as possible.”

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