I read with great interest the article "Age limit of cabs up for debate" (Advertiser, June 18). As someone that has travelled extensively, I have always wondered why cabs in the UK generally and not just Redditch always seem so old.

Just last week I was in France where the local taxis were pretty new Mercedes. Now whilst I don't expect all the cabs to be Mercedes, I do expect them to be 'safe'.

Just a few weeks ago I dialed a local cab company to take me and a friend to a pub about four miles away. What should turn up but a 'D' registration Nissan Bluebird, meaning this cab was at least 16 years old.

My own car is equipped with front and side airbags, ABS and a raft of other passive and active safety systems that ensure it achieves a four-star NCAP (the European vehicle crash safety body) crash test result, which means that should an accident be unavoidable, I have a pretty good chance of escaping with my life.

This in-built safety was important to me when I bought my car, as no doubt the same is to a great many other car purchasers.

And the Nissan Bluebird that I had to pay to be taken in? ABS - no, airbags - no, seatbelt pretensioners - no, a sufficiently good NCAP crash test result - no. In fact, other than seatbelts and crumple zones that were acceptable back in the mid-80s, there was nothing to help avoid an accident or to protect me and my fellow passenger in the event of one.

While I appreciate not all cabs in Redditch are of the Bluebird's vintage, those I have seen or have been carried in are mostly vehicles that are past their best in terms of crash avoidance and occupant protection.

As for fares having to rise, how can this be justified? How long does it take to recoup the investment in a five or 10-year-old Toyota or similar that surely doesn't cost more than a couple of thousand pounds at most?

However, should raising fares be the only option, I for one would rather pay a little more to feel safe.

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