This 'Tank Taxi' service blows Uber away
British man turns armored troop transport into taxi
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tanks for the ride.
A British man is launching a "Tank Taxi" service in the city of Norwich with a 15-ton armored vehicle.
(SWNS)
The ex-military tracked personnel carrier isn't technically a tank, but was built to withstand hits from small arms, artillery and explosive devices.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Merlin Batchelor told SWNS that the 1967 military machine had been sitting in someone's yard for four decades before he purchased it last year for around $27,500.
"I just wanted a tank. I always wanted to build a castle one day and it seemed to go with the whole defensive theme," Batchelor said.
(SWNS)
Batchelor brightened it up with a purple flower motif and added a flat-screen TV in the cabin, just in case playing soldier isn't entertaining enough for his passengers. He has applied for a taxi license so he can offer a unique way to get around town, but won't be competing directly with ride-hailing services.
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His rates are $830 for the first hour and $275 for each additional hour, but the vehicle carries up to nine people who can always split the bill.
Insurance on the road-legal vehicle only costs $330 per year, but can only be driven up to 20 mph, so it may not be the fastest way for the locals to get around town.
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"My three youngest girls love it, they want to go to school in it," Batchelor said. "My eldest daughter was a fan up until I ordered it. Now she's at secondary school and thinking 'I don't want my friends to know.'"