The World's Safest Taxi

London's cab drivers are well known for ruling the roost on its busy streets; but if this bad boy ever turned up, they'd be forced to stand aside.

The newest taxi in Russia is a former armoured reconnaissance vehicle. Its owner has been attempting to procure a licence to use it as a taxi on the streets of St. Petersburg, and city authorities have finally given in, after requesting that it be painted to a 'civilian' colour - the owner chose red, to set it apart from the standard yellow taxis in the city.

The BRDM-2 Combat Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle was made in the Soviet Union and operational between 1963 and 1989. It's armed with a 14.5mm Vladimirov heavy machine gun, a 7.62mm Kalashnikov tank machine gun and has the added bonus of being amphibious, enabling it to cross the Neva River without needing to bother with the nuisance of a bridge.

A ride will cost you 5,000 rubles (£56) and, unlike any other taxi, we'd have thought traffic jams wouldn't be too much of an issue.

Watch it in action in the video below.

[via Oddity Central]