It is well known that e-hailing services such as Grab, Lyft, and Uber are frequently employed not just in this country but also internationally. But did you know that there is an e-hailing service that has its own set of benefits because the vehicle it transports is not your typical car?
According to CBS News, a guy in Norwich, England, advertised a “Tank Taxi” service. Many people must be surprised by hearing his name since they believe he is a tank that has been transformed into a taxi.
Tank Taxi is not a real tank, but rather an armoured vehicle or Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) owned by a guy named Merlin Batchelor. Batchelor is said to have purchased the APC online, and the cost of purchasing and restoring the 1967 armoured vehicle was roughly $35,000 at the time (RM145,372.50).
Batchelor stated that he first purchased the APC to fulfil a leisure pastime, but he soon began to get numerous requests from the general people to ride in the armoured vehicle.
“First, several neighbours inquired. “After that, friends asked friends to ask friends, and now strangers have asked me if I could take them for a ride on this APC,” he explained.
Batchelor also stated that he received the most requests to transport students to school dances.
Because his armoured truck drew so much attention, the guy eventually decided to establish a new side career in which he would charge about $1,000 (about RM4,000) for one journey. Batchelor has already been booked to drive clients to weddings and funerals.
According to Forbes, the Batchelor-owned APC can carry a maximum of 9 passengers at a time and has a top speed of only 20mph.
Nonetheless, Batchelor stated that he now only has permission to transport passengers in the armoured truck to weddings and funerals.
However, the father of four hopes that in the future he will obtain a permit so that he can take passengers for other functions.