Taxi driver union leaders have laid a wreath on the office door of the late George Vyse, London’s most famous taxi driver, who died in hospital on Sunday May 15, following a collision with a moped.
Grant Davis, Chairman of the London Cab Drivers Club, Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, and Trevor Merrells of the United Cabbies Group, all attended.
“Gorgeous George”, from Kennington, famous for revolutionising the London taxi industry, collided with a moped on Kennington Lane, Thursday May 12, and passed away the following Sunday.
Standing outside George’s office door on Southwark Street, Grant Davis said: “He was one of the old school good’uns and the cab trade will be a sadder place without Georgie Vyse coming out of that door.
“He always had five minutes for a cab driver. If you had a problem, George would sort it, or he’d know someone who would sort it.”
“And he’s still here. Watching and listening to you moaning about the airport.”
In 1984, George fought to have radios allowed in London cabs which the Metropolitan Police, then in charge of the Public Carriage Office (PCO), banned.
He conducted much of his business from his office, where he would advise fellow taxi drivers on any problems they had.
Grant said: “I was in the office just last Monday. I’ve sat in there, drinking cups of tea and talking rubbish with George, for years and years.”
“You’d get such a variety of cab drivers in there, each with their different opinions, and there was George at the centre of it all, arguing the toss over everything.”
After laying the wreath, the three men took a minute’s silence, paying their respects on behalf of all their union members.
They also laid a plaque reading “with our deepest sympathy RIP George”, with the three union emblems emblazoned beneath it.
The plaque also has George’s trademark number plate on it ‘HI PCO’, George’s cheeky dig at the PCO, which he constantly badgered with calls defending his cabbie colleagues.
Before George got the PCO to allow radios, cab drivers had to take their radios from home and hide them under the seat, or strap them to the sun visor.
Grant said, prior to his death, George had wanted to roll out more electric charge points across the capital, for cabbies making the switch to electric cars.
It was meant to be his “swan song”, one final gift for the trade he loved.