Central Taxis

What Central Taxis does

Central Taxis is a private cooperative that has operated Edinburgh's largest licensed taxi fleet since 1968, when it was founded on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade by 33 driver-members. It operates 465 wheelchair-accessible vehicles (comprising LEVC TX, Mercedes, and Peugeot E7 models, including 140+ fully electric units) staffed by over 1,100 driver-members and 70 office staff, serving the city and surrounding areas on a 24/7, 365-day basis. The company describes itself as Scotland's first carbon-neutral taxi operator and holds ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) certifications, with operational emissions reduced by over 60% since 2019 through fleet electrification and verified offsets via Carbon Footprint Ltd.

The service portfolio centres on metered point-to-point taxi fares (regulated under the City of Edinburgh Council Taxi fare table) and extends to a 24/7 control-centre-monitored airport meet-and-greet transfer service, dedicated corporate accounts with bespoke contracts and CO2 reporting, a (currently suspended) personal account product, wedding and event hire, and qualified-driver guided city, regional, golf, and distillery tours. Ancillary revenue lines include managed taxi advertising (vehicle wraps, supersides, interior ads) and an exclusive Taxicard accessible-transit partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council. Distribution is omnichannel — multiple phone lines, online booking, iOS and Android apps, and WhatsApp booking with real-time tracking — and payments are processed via Chip & PIN, contactless, and Apple Pay in-vehicle terminals.

Monetisation is predominantly transaction-based: metered fares for individual rides, sliding-scale administration fees (3%-21%) on corporate accounts based on monthly spend, fixed pricing on tours and weddings, and advertising campaign fees. Headline sponsorships (Edinburgh Restaurant Awards, Central Taxis Edinburgh Trophy football tournament) and a 'fare share' charity programme reinforce brand position within the local Edinburgh market.

Name

Central Taxis

Legal name

Central Taxis Edinburgh

Website

https://taxis-edinburgh.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Central Taxis is a 1968-founded Edinburgh taxi cooperative operating the city's largest fleet of 465 wheelchair-accessible vehicles and 1,100+ driver-members, serving individual, corporate, tourist, wedding, airport, and accessibility-transport customers through 24/7 phone, app, web, and WhatsApp booking channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Taxi and Ground Transportation Services

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Taxi and Limousine Service (4853), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Taxi Cooperative / Owner-Driver Association Operators (TLAFAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Street-Hail Taxi & Taxi Fleet Operators (THAIAGAA), Taxi Fleet Owners & Medallion/Permit Operators (TLAFAHAH), Dispatch / Call Center Taxi Services (THADAEAB)

Keywords

• Taxi services
• Airport transfers
• Corporate travel
• Wheelchair accessible transport
• Guided city tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Taxi Fares - Standard Journeys: Metered taxi fares for point-to-point transport within Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Standard fares regulated under City of Edinburgh Council Taxi fare table.
2. Airport Transfers - Meet and Greet: Premium airport transfer service with flight monitoring and vehicle dispatch before arrival. Meet and Greet service includes name board and escort to vehicle.
3. Wedding and Event Services: Special occasion taxi service with decorated vehicles, suited drivers, flowers, and ribbons. Pricing varies by service package from pickup only to full ceremony and reception service.
4. Guided Tours: City and regional tours in iconic black cabs with qualified tour guide drivers. Pricing from £48 per hour for city tours up to £384 for full day tours.
5. Corporate Account Management: Account management for corporate clients with monthly invoicing, detailed management information reports, and CO2 emissions tracking. Administration fees charged on sliding scale.
6. Taxi Advertising: Full vehicle wraps, supersides, and interior advertising on the fleet. Fully managed campaign service including planning, production, installation, and ongoing management.
7. Taxicard Service: Exclusive partnership with City of Edinburgh Council to deliver Taxicard service for mobility-impaired passengers. Includes wheelchair accessible and electric saloon vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Taxis is Edinburgh's largest taxi company, operating a fleet of over 465 wheelchair-accessible black cabs driven by 1,100+ cooperative driver-members 24/7. The core offering is metered point-to-point taxi transport supplemented by airport transfers with flight monitoring and meet-and-greet, corporate and personal account services with monthly invoicing, wedding and special event hire, and guided city tours.

Product overview

Central Taxis operates as Edinburgh's largest taxi fleet with 465 wheelchair-accessible hackney taxis, functioning as a cooperative with over 1,100 drivers since 1968. The core offering is the Standard Taxi Service, supplemented by specialized modules including Airport Taxi Service (with flight monitoring and Meet and Greet), Corporate and Personal Account management (with invoicing and expense tracking), Wedding Taxi Service, Guided Tours, Taxi Advertising campaigns, Disabled Passengers Service, and Taxicard Service (partnership with City of Edinburgh Council). The company also offers a Mobile Booking App for iOS and Android with WhatsApp integration for convenient ride booking. The fleet comprises LTC TX, Mercedes, and Peugeot E7 vehicles, with over 140 electric vehicles and ISO 14001 environmental certification supporting their carbon-neutral positioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Taxi Service Traditional wheelchair-accessible black cab taxi service with 5- and 6-seater hackney taxis operating 24/7 across Edinburgh, with a fleet of 465 vehicles.
• Airport Taxi Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced operational emissions by over 60% since 2019 (from 1,970 to 753 tonnes CO2)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• City of Edinburgh CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership to deliver the Taxicard service for mobility-impaired passengers. Central Taxis provides full range of wheelchair accessible five and six seater taxis as well as electric saloon vehicles. The service is managed by the Council to ensure needs of all users are met.
• Carbon Footprint LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for carbon offsetting all customer journeys through verified clean energy and environmental projects. Provides independent certification of carbon neutrality.
• Scottish Taxi FederationOthers
• City of Edinburgh Transport ForumOthers
• Federation of Small BusinessesOthers
• Edinburgh Children's Hospital CharityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Taxis Charity Partner of the Year 2017. Raised £8,000 through Society of the Golden Keys AGM event. Supporting the charity's work to transform experiences of children and young people in hospital.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Uber: Global ride-hailing platform operating in Edinburgh, competing for the same passenger trips through its app-based model. Most direct competitor in terms of on-demand taxi-style transport, though structurally different (licensed hackney vs. PHV).
• FreeNow: Pan-European taxi and ride-hailing aggregator app, present in UK cities, that aggregates licensed taxi fleets onto its platform. Comparable as it competes for the same consumer bookings and is increasingly used in Edinburgh.
• ComCab: UK taxi dispatch and private-hire operator with corporate account services. Comparable business model around dispatch-led corporate taxi accounts and regulated fleet operations.
• Bolt: European ride-hailing app actively competing in Edinburgh alongside Uber. Directly comparable as a mobile-first ride-hailing alternative for consumers choosing between app-based and traditional taxi dispatch.
• Black Cab London: London-focused black-cab booking app and dispatch service. Comparable as a licensed-hackney booking platform using similar vehicles (LEVC TX) to Central Taxis and competing on accessibility and corporate accounts.
• City Cabs Edinburgh: Edinburgh's other major licensed taxi operator, competing head-to-head with Central Taxis for hackney work, corporate accounts, and airport transfers within the same city regulatory regime.
• Radio Taxis (London): Long-established London licensed-taxi dispatch cooperative, structurally analogous to Central Taxis as a driver-member cooperative with phone/app dispatch. Comparable in cooperative ownership and multi-channel dispatch model.

Broad incumbents

• Addison Lee: Established UK private-hire/chauffeur operator based in London. Comparable as a larger incumbent competing for corporate travel and airport transfer accounts, though its core market is London rather than Edinburgh.

Emerging players

• Wheely: Premium chauffeur/taxi app operator in London and other UK cities, focused on higher-end corporate and event rides. Comparable on the premium wedding, event, and corporate-taxi segments where Central Taxis also competes.

Others

• LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company): Manufacturer of the LEVC TX electric hackney used in Central Taxis's fleet. Included as an adjacent/ecosystem player — supplier relationship is strategic for Central Taxis's EV transition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralTaxisEdinburgh
• Xx.com/CentralTaxisEd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-taxis-edinburgh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Taxis