You know who I blame?

London cabbies, long dismissive of satnav systems are now being courted by manufacturers eager to produce devices tailored to their needs.

Bob Oddy, general secretary of the London Taxi Drivers' Association admits that satnav was more widely deployed among cabbies "doing the airport runs and those doing jobs in the London suburbs", but declared: "Regardless of the salesmen's hype about these machines they cannot match the knowledge and experience of a good cabbie."

But product development chief at TomTom, Mathias Fussibender is keen to prove Mr Oddy wrong with new features on their range-topping TomTomCab.


The TomTomCab boasts route adjustment algorithms able to take into account number of luggage items and an advanced real-time update that reduces the cab range south of the river incrementally after 5.32pm.

If it proves successful it could mean more products aimed at niche markets. "We're already talking about a range of ideas" Mathias enthused "The TomTomChav perhaps, or a unit aimed at HGV drivers with real-time updates about the quietest spot to dump the victims body in. It's terribly exciting."