London cab driver, Micky Harris launches cab hailing app ‘Unify London’, to give cabbies a better deal while helping charities.
London cab driver and Taxi Charity volunteer Micky Harris has used an unexpected legacy from his late wife Barbara to create the Unify London App. Barbara regularly joined Micky on Taxi Charity trips to the continent before her death and she left instructions that Micky was to use the legacy to support the cab trade and help charities run by taxi drivers.
The Unify London App is very different to anything else that is currently available to London cab drivers. There is no surge pricing, no hidden fees, no cancellations, hired from the hail, light off-meter on and unlike other Apps the Unify London App will give cab drivers the full metered fare. In addition, charities including the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, The London Taxi Drivers’ Charity for Children, The Albany Taxi Charity and the Magical Taxi Tour will benefit every time the app is used.
Micky Harris, London cab driver and Taxi Charity volunteer said, “Adjusting to life without Barbara has been incredibly difficult. However, when Barbara passed, she left me a wonderful legacy, asking me to use the money to unify the cab trade. Understanding and formulating how best to use her legacy has undoubtedly given me something to get up for every day; I knew that I wanted to combine Barbara’s love of the Taxi Charity with her wishes to support the cab trade and the result is the Unify London App.
“While I was developing the App it was very important to me that the driver received the full metered fare and that the customer is never charged more than the TfL regulated booking fee. What the trade needed was a fair App where the drivers got all the fare. This isn’t a commercial venture, this idea for the app, has come from the heart of someone who cares for the trade made possible by the wonderful and unexpected legacy from Barbara.”
Brian Heffernan, London Cab driver and Chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said, “Micky has been a wonderful volunteer for the Taxi Charity and we have recently asked him to join the committee. His late wife Barbara was an important part of our trips with veterans to the Netherlands and Normandy and I know how very proud she would be of Micky creating this cab app which will benefit drivers and support the Taxi Charity and other trade charities.”
About Unify London
Unify London has no surge pricing, no hidden fees, no cancellations, the cab driver receives the full fare and the customer is never charged more than the TfL regulated booking fee. It is the only platform operating fully within TfL pricing structures.
About the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans
The Taxi Charity is run by volunteer London black taxi drivers and has been supporting thousands of veterans since 1948. It is the only Forces charity that focuses on providing fun and entertainment and arranges free trips (for veterans from all conflicts) to the Netherlands and France, for acts of commemoration and days out to museums, concerts, or social events across the UK.
2023 is the charity’s 75th anniversary, a remarkable milestone for a small, niche charity peopled by enthusiastic volunteers.
The charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021, an award approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the equivalent of the MBE for charities.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship and launched a ‘75 for 75’ fundraising campaign to raise £75,000 in its anniversary year.
