So what's the difference between a limousine hire and a taxi? In short, I defy anybody not to mention "luxury" in a limousine hire description but, the price of luxury is coming down. Quite honestly it is a personal statement that the passenger wants more than just getting from A to B. They want to get from A to B in confident style, turn heads and enjoy a smooth ride.



People have been transported in vehicles since the age of the Egyptian Pharoahs. Private hire is nothing new so the only things that have changed have been the transport medium and the level of luxury. When the first horse taxi started I'm sure there was a guy who knew that people would pay more to ride a better looking horse. When all the taxis were good-looking horses there undoubtedly was a guy who offered additionally a crushed leather saddle and a free drink. It is the nature of the best to be better than the average. From pony and traps to the latest state-of-the-art vehicles, passengers have always looked for more bang for their buck. In the last 20 years the limousine hire culture has had to redefine itself from the image of the stretch black Cadillac to meet two specifically growing markets.

The first market was commerce. People don't fly business class because it gets them to their destination quicker. People fly business class because when they arrive they are ready to go, with a right frame of mind, energised etc. It's the same with car travel. A limousine won't get you there any quicker but businessmen who regularly use limousines will tell you that business starts with the journey. A safe, secure, smooth and non-distracting ride is what they are demanding.

The second and newer market to evolve was tourism. Gone are the days when the package holiday tied you in to an airport transfer via a 52 seater coach. People now are much more likely to "add-on" a limousine transfer as they've saved money on the flight or have a great accommodation deal. The image of cigarette burned leopard-skin covered seats still strikes fear into me and so, I imagine, others that have suffered enough less-than-clean taxis will want to invest a bit extra in the airport transfer or for in-city transport using a hotel or private limousine hire service. Safe, secure, clean and spacious are now standard features, not optional extras.

Of course, crushed leather saddles and free drinks are the norm now so look out for continuous improvements in limousine hire. Certainly Limousine companies are facing a real challenge to provide to everyone the opportunity to hire a limousine. The challenge is transforming the old concept of a limousine as bespoke transport only for the rich and famous into a professional and stylish transport service available to everyone for not much more than the cost of a leopard-skin taxi.

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