A handful of drivers of London's iconic 'black cab' taxis are offering a surprise to visitors ahead of the 70-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Passengers choosing to ride in the electric black cabs increasingly prevalent on the roads of the UK's capital will be treated to a free ride in a carriage with Jubilee-themed interiors. 

"We're celebrating the sale of 7,000 vehicles globally and it's 70 years since the Queen's coronation," says driver Michael Atkinson as he makes his way under huge canopy of Union Jack flags on Oxford Street. 

Preparations are well underway to mark the occasion, with roads around Buckingham Palace already closed off ahead of the June celebrations. 

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Atkinson says punters can hail his cab just like any other and will only be told their journey is free at the end, as long as it remains within the inner city. An astute pedestrian may be able to spot one of the participating cabs if they can look out for the '7,000 global sales' label on the vehicle's exterior.

Demand for taxis plummeted during COVID-19 lockdowns, but now that summer has started in the UK, the tourists are back and major festivities have been planned over the coming weeks. London cab drivers will play their part in getting people to the various events, and while doing so, treat some of them to this special jubilee surprise.

Chinese auto giant Geely put the black cab back in business back in 2013, buying the failing company that owned them and launching a drive for the carriages to go fully electric. Nearly a decade on, there are more and more of them around. 

"There are about 14,000 black cabs on London's roads and about 5,000 of them are LEVC electric vehicles now", says the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) Product and Marketing Director James Drake-Lee. "So about a third of the total. And we expect that share to keep growing until they're all electric in the years ahead."

On June 2, the day of the jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II will travel in the Gold State Coach, an eight-horse-drawn carriage used by the British royal family. Meanwhile, some from the general public may be lucky enough to enjoy a ride in an electric hackney carriage free of charge.