Les taxis noirs: London black cabs to hit the streets of Paris

IT’S one of the most enduring symbols of London life — but now black cabs are set to start working on the streets of Paris.

Authorities in the French capital approved the use of the TX eCity hybrid, a “clean” version of the original. A source at Paris City Hall said: “The London cab contains a conventional petrol engine, but also an electric battery which will be far more favourable for the city centre.

“The vehicle fits in perfectly with the green policies being adopted here, and is likely to be operating early in 2019.”

Some 600 of the £50,000-plus vehicles are already in use in London, as well as in European capitals including Amsterdam and Berlin.

They are set to arrive in Paris in the spring. The city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is one of the most anti-car officials in Europe.

Making taxis cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing would fit in with her initiatives, which have include banning cars from large parts of the right bank of the Seine.

The London cabs will be a familiar sight for British tourists, who make up the largest visitor group to the French capital.