London cabbies support Cabs For Veterans on Remembrance Sunday

Many of our volunteer drivers gave up their time on Sunday 8 November to support Cabs for Veterans. The much-loved service, which was formally known as Poppy Cabs but is now called Cabs For Veterans, began in 2009.

Seventeen years on, it runs to over a thousand free journeys, most of them packed into about two hours either side of the service at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

Drivers meet veterans at the mainline stations, take them to Whitehall, then wait and take them back again. The whole thing is funded by the cabbies themselves, often with family and friends along to help.

Colin Mills, London licensed taxi driver and Chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said:

“There is a long and proud tradition of London’s licensed cab drivers giving their time to support good causes and helping those who need it. For me, volunteering with Cabs For Veterans on Remembrance Sunday is about continuing that tradition, but it is also something much more personal. It is our honour and our duty.

“The men and women we transport gave so much to ensure that we enjoy the freedom we have today. Giving up a few hours of our Sunday is a very small price to pay in recognition of their enormous sacrifice. It is something I will always be proud to do, and I know my fellow cabbies feel exactly the same.

“Every year, to see the black cabs lined up along Westminster Bridge at 11am on Remembrance Sunday is incredibly moving. It has become an iconic sight and a powerful symbol of the generosity and compassion of London’s cab drivers. Most importantly, it is a reminder that we will remember them, and that the people who sacrificed so much for us will never be forgotten.”