Driving in style in Ukraine

The taxi charges more than its ordinary counterparts

A ride in an armoured car may be a bit bumpier than in a regular taxi, but it is proving to be a hit with customers in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.

A local taxi firm has converted a former amphibious reconnaissance vehicle into a fancy cab.

Ukraine's One Plus One television showed the brightly-coloured armoured car driving clients to their destinations for a fare five times higher than usual: five hryvnias, or about a dollar, per kilometre.

The driver has room for three passengers

The launch of the car was originally conceived as a joke advertisement targeting mainly young people, according to the Ukrainian Unian news agency.

But the vehicle has been hugely popular not only with "exotica buffs", but also with "elderly men and respected ladies", the agency said.

The seven-tonne vehicle's top speed is 110 km (70 miles) per hour, more than enough for the Chernihiv rush hour. But it is also a gas guzzler - 70 litres of fuel per 100 km (18 gallons per 62 miles), Unian said.

The BRDM-2 scout car ended up in the taxi business after it had been seized by Ukrainian customs, the television said. It showed a bullet mark in the car's armour.

Getting in and out involves climbing a ladder

The taxi company made it more customer-friendly by mounting a special ladder and painting it in the national yellow and blue colours.

The machine guns had been removed before they bought it.

The "taxi" can now seat three passengers apart from the driver, but the company intends to increase its capacity in the summer, when they can take down the top and turn the BRDM-2 into a "convertible".

Rides across water obstacles may also be offered in the future, the television added.

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