London Conditions of Fitness

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The London Conditions of Fitness are governed by the Public Carriage Office (PCO), part of Transport for London (TfL) and set out the requirements for vehicles that may be used as taxi cabs in London, UK.

As at March 2007

Only one vehicle in production complies, the TX4 made by LTI, although other types of vehicle have complied in the past and remain in service, including approximately 1500 Metrocabs and 6 Asquiths, out of a total population of some 20,500 - including TX1s, TX2s, TX4s and earlier LTI models such as the Fairway and FX4.

Many myths persist as to the requirements and purpose of the London Conditions, including the belief that the door aperture was designed to accommodate the carrying of a bale of hay and the passenger headroom requirement to allow a gentleman to be seated while wearing a top hat.^{[citation needed]} In fact the main requirements relate to driver and passenger comfort and safety, accessibility for people with disabilities and manoeuvrability to minimise the impact of the many taxis operating in the city on other road users.

This latter requirement results in perhaps the most famous ability of London Taxis - the ability to 'turn on a sixpence'. In fact, the specification calls for the cabs to be able to turn through 180^o on either lock between two walls 28ft (8.535 metres) apart. There is a second requirement for the turning circle to be not less than 25ft (7.62 metres) between curbs in order to avoid steering geometries that could be unstable.

The London Conditions were extensively reviewed by the PCO between 2002 and 2005, which led to the issue of updated requirements on 1st January 2007.