London taxi drivers or cabbies were praised on social media for helping out chronically ill children. Around 200 children were driven from their hospital to Disneyland in Paris on September 20, 2024.
The event organised by The Magical Taxi Tour and The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, had taxi drivers across the country use their vehicle for free during this initiative. This marks the 30th year since the initiative began, which had around 100 black taxis driving the children and their families.
The drive began on Friday, 20 September, morning at the Canary Wharf. According to reports, the Royal British Legion band played music as the black cabs began their journey. They then took the ferry from Dover to Calais, where they were driven to the theme park in Marne-la-Vallee, around 32 kilometres from Paris.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the convoy included the cabbies, London Ambulance NHS Trust and AA breakdown trucks, and police outriders from the City of London Police and from France’s Gendarme Nationale.
In an interview with BBC, Phil Davis, the former chairman of The Magical Taxi Tour said, “It’s a challenge but we all do it to see a smile on their face.”
The City of London police also mentioned it was the last Magical Taxi tour for one of their officers, Detective Superintendent Matt Mountford, who had been escorting the black cab fleet for 25 years.
In an interview for the City of London Police website, he said, “Every year creates special memories. Seeing the joy on the faces of these wonderful kids who have so much courage and determination is very humbling.”
“The day will be emotional, I’m sure. I will miss the comradery, the laughs, and most of all, the smile and happiness it brings the kids and their families,” he added.
The children spent the day with their families at Disneyland on Saturday, 21 September, and ended their trip with a formal dinner and disco, before heading back home on Sunday, according to reports.
According to the report by BBC, almost 90 per cent of the children have no idea about the trip until the night before.
A video posted by Instagram account Good News Movement, which has over 1.3 million views, had netizens praising the cabbies and organisers for this initiative.
One comment read, “This makes all the difference in their fight against the disease. Such a lovely gesture.”
Netizens also mentioned in the comments, how cabbies in London are known to offer free rides to parents who take their children to and from the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which is a children’s hospital.
