2Tone Taxi: Phil the Cabbie

Ahead of our 2Tone Taxi tours, we challenged Phil Upton to see if he had what it takes to become a Coventry cabbie.

Being a Coventry cabbie is so much more than just getting people from A to B.

Phil Upton

Phil has the support from two of Coventry’s cabbies, Faisal Riaz and Rob Parkinson, who together have 45 years of cab driving experience.

In the challenge Phil learns about cabbie etiquette, how to drive a black cab and takes the Coventry Knowledge test.

You can follow Phil's journey between Monday 9 October - Friday 13 October on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.

Phil says:

“I’d always thought that driving a cab around Coventry would be straightforward; just driving round and round the Ring Road. But having done it now, I have much more respect for them.

"I really loved it. I was concentrating so much more, it’s not as easy as it looks.

"Also, I don’t think my knowledge of Coventry’s cycle routes was very helpful when it came to navigating myself around Coventry’s roads in a taxi, there were places I couldn’t go.

“Being a Coventry cabbie is so much more than just getting people from A to B. They have to deal with all kinds of passengers, from the people just doing their shopping, those on a rowdy night out or even those who have used them as a councillor and offloaded all their worries."