59-457: A taxi , also known as a taxicab or simply a cab , is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver , used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice. This differs from public transport where the pick-up and drop-off locations are decided by the service provider, not by the customers, although demand responsive transport and share taxis provide
118-815: A fee , in which passengers are generally free to choose their points or approximate points of origin and destination, unlike public transport , and which they do not drive themselves, as in car rental and carsharing . They may be offered via a ridesharing company . Vehicles for hire include taxicabs pulled rickshaws , cycle rickshaws , auto rickshaws , motorcycle taxis , Zémidjans , okadas , boda bodas , sedan services , limousines , party buses , carriages (including hackney carriages , fiacres , and caleches ), pet taxis , water taxis , and air charters . Share taxis , paratransit , dollar vans , marshrutkas , dolmuş , nanny vans , demand responsive transport , public light buses , and airport buses operate along fixed routes, but offer some flexibility in
177-419: A P (passenger) endorsement on their driver licence . Until 1 October 2017, all drivers wanting to obtain a P endorsement had to complete a P endorsement course, but that requirement was removed as a result of lobbying by Uber who had been flouting the law. Drivers must comply with work-time rules and maintain a logbook, with the onus on training falling on companies and drivers since the P endorsement course
236-406: A call to "Top of the 2" means that the first cab in line at stand #2 is supposed to pick someone up. In offices using radio dispatch, taxi locations are often tracked using magnetic pegs on a "board"—a metal sheet with an engraved map of taxi zones. In computerized dispatch, the status of taxis is tracked by the computer system. Taxi frequencies are generally licensed in duplex pairs. One frequency
295-665: A certain order," as in commanding an orderly battle line, or in ordaining the payment of taxes, to the extent that ταξίδι ( taxidi ), meaning "journey" in Modern Greek , initially denoted an orderly military march or campaign. Meter is from the Greek μέτρον ( metron ) meaning "measure." A cabriolet is a type of horse-drawn carriage; the word comes from French cabrioler ("to leap, caper"), from Italian capriolare ("to somersault"), from Latin capreolus ("roebuck", "wild goat"). In most European languages that word has taken on
354-471: A demanding process of learning and testing called The Knowledge . This typically takes around three years and equips them with a detailed command of 25,000 streets within central London, major routes outside this area, and all buildings and other destinations to which passengers may ask to be taken. Taxicabs have been both criticized for creating pollution and also praised as an environmentally responsible alternative to private car use. One study, published in
413-426: A driver who sat on a sprung seat behind the vehicle. The passengers could give their instructions to the driver through a trap door near the rear of the roof. They could pay the driver through the hatch, and he would then operate a lever to release the doors so that they could alight. In some cabs, the driver could operate a device that balanced the cab and reduced strain on the horse. The passengers were protected from
472-513: A first-come, first-served basis. Out of a total of 1,378 eligible vehicles (wheelchair-accessible taxi-vans are excluded) 788 are alternative fuel vehicles, representing 57% of the San Francisco's taxicab fleet by March 2010. Gasoline-electric hybrids accounted for 657 green taxis and compressed natural gas vehicles for 131. Vehicle for hire A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing private transport or shared transport for
531-823: A fleet of cabs were sent to carriage makers in New York City. Fares were to be charged either by distance or time: $ 0.30 for a single person per mile, or portion thereof, and $ 0.40 for two people. By time, $ 0.75 for one person for an hour or portion thereof, $ 1.00 for two persons. Two English peers who owned cab companies, Lord Shrewsbury and Lord Lonsdale , raised the standards of all Hansom cabs in London when they purchased upgraded cabs made by Forder, complete with brass fittings, quiet-running rubber tires, and luxuriously fitted interiors. Their horses were thoroughbreds in polished harnesses. These flashier Hansoms were sometimes referred to as "Gondolas of London" or "gondolas of
590-517: A horse-drawn vehicle for hire, while the German term Fiaker is used, especially in Austria, to refer to the same thing.) The hansom cab was designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom , an architect from York as a substantial improvement on the old hackney carriages. These two-wheel vehicles were fast, light enough to be pulled by a single horse (making the journey cheaper than travelling in
649-499: A hybrid bus/taxi mode. There are four distinct forms of taxicab, which can be identified by slightly differing terms in different countries: Although types of vehicles and methods of regulation, hiring, dispatching, and negotiating payment differ significantly from country to country, many common characteristics exist. Disputes over whether ridesharing companies should be regulated as taxicabs resulted in some jurisdictions creating new regulations for these services. The word taxicab
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#1732776331389708-437: A larger four-wheel coach) were agile enough to steer around horse-drawn vehicles in the notorious traffic jams of nineteenth-century London and had a low centre of gravity for safe cornering. Hansom's original design was modified by John Chapman and several others to improve its practicability, but retained Hansom's name. These soon replaced the hackney carriage as a vehicle for hire . They quickly spread to other cities in
767-421: A percentage of each fare). So "on the nut" simply means to be next in a taxi stand to receive a passenger. Additionally, some cab companies are owned cooperatively, with profits shared through democratic governance. Different states have different regulations for taxi driver registration and compliance: New Zealand taxi drivers fall under the definition of a Small Passenger Service Vehicle driver. They must have
826-891: A pull-out or portable ramp. Taxicabs in less developed places can be a completely different experience, such as the antique French cars typically found in Cairo . However, starting in March 2006, newer modern taxicabs entered the service operated by various private companies. Taxicabs differ in other ways as well: London's black cabs have a large compartment beside the driver for storing bags, while many fleets of regular taxis also include wheelchair accessible taxicabs among their numbers (see above). Although taxicabs have traditionally been sedans , minivans , hatchbacks and even SUV taxicabs are becoming increasingly common. In many cities, limousines operate as well, usually in competition with taxicabs and at higher fares. Recently, with growing concern for
885-404: A rearward driving seat — the latter not at first evident. The purpose of its design was to combine speed with safety, having a low centre of gravity, essential for safe cornering and overtaking. Wheels were originally 7'6" in diameter, later becoming much smaller although still large in proportion. The dashboard was curved at the rear of the shafts, bringing the hind-quarters of the horse fairly near
944-461: A seat on the fore-part of the roof. The Hansom Cab Company was established in May 1869 to provide transportation in New York City and Brooklyn. The business was located at 133 Water Street, Brooklyn; Duncan, Sherman & Company handled the books of subscription (initial offers of stock to capitalize a new company). The enterprise was organized by Ed W. Brandon who became its president. Two orders for
1003-462: A taxi stand—to contact the dispatch office. When a customer calls for a taxi, a trip is dispatched by either radio or computer, via an in-vehicle mobile data terminal , to the most suitable cab. The most suitable cab may either be the one closest to the pick-up address (often determined by GPS coordinates nowadays) or the one that was the first to book into the "zone" surrounding the pickup address. Cabs are sometimes dispatched from their taxi stands;
1062-440: A taxi to be "hailed" or "flagged" on the side of the street as it is approaching. Another option is a taxi stand (sometimes also called a "cab stand," "hack stand," "taxi rank," or "cab rank"). Taxi stands are usually located at airports, railway stations, major retail areas (malls), hotels and other places where a large number of passengers are likely to be found. In some places—Japan, for example—taxi stands are arranged according to
1121-444: Is a compound word formed as a contraction of taximeter and cabriolet . Taximeter is an adaptation of the German word Taxameter , which is itself a variant of the earlier German word Taxanom . Taxe /ˈtaksə/ is a German word meaning "tax", "charge", or "scale of charges". The Medieval Latin word taxa also means tax or charge . Taxi may ultimately be attributed to Ancient Greek τάξις from τάσσω meaning "to place in
1180-587: Is used for the dispatcher to talk to the cabs, and a second frequency is used to the cabs to talk back. This means that the drivers generally cannot talk to each other. Some cabs have a CB radio in addition to the company radio so they can speak to each other. In the United States, there is a Taxicab Radio Service with pairs assigned for this purpose. A taxi company can also be licensed in the Business Radio Service. Business frequencies in
1239-430: Is usually monitored and controlled by a central office, which provides dispatching , accounting, and human resources services to one or more taxi companies. Taxi owners and drivers usually communicate with the dispatch office through either a 2-way radio or a computer terminal (called a mobile data terminal ). Before the innovation of radio dispatch in the 1950s, taxi drivers would use a callbox —a special telephone at
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#17327763313891298-698: The Hansom cab ) or even boats (such as water taxies or gondolas ) are also used or have been used historically. In Western Europe, Bissau , and to an extent, Australia, it is not uncommon for expensive cars such as Mercedes-Benz to be the taxicab of choice. Often this decision is based upon the perceived reliability of, and warranty offered with these vehicles. These taxi-service vehicles are almost always equipped with four-cylinder turbodiesel engines and relatively low levels of equipment, and are not considered luxury cars. This has changed though in countries such as Denmark, where tax regulation makes it profitable to sell
1357-403: The Hansom safety cab , it was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low centre of gravity for safe cornering. Hansom's original design was modified by John Chapman and several others to improve its practicability, but retained Hansom's name. Cab is a shortening of cabriolet , reflecting the design of the carriage. It replaced the hackney carriage as a vehicle for hire ; with
1416-725: The 1980s when computer assisted dispatching was first introduced. Paris taxis played a memorable part in the French victory at First Battle of the Marne in the First World War . On 7 September 1914, the Military Governor of Paris, Joseph Gallieni , gathered about six hundred taxicabs at Les Invalides in central Paris to carry soldiers to the front at Nanteuil-le Haudouin, fifty kilometers away. Within twenty-four hours about six thousand soldiers and officers were moved to
1475-544: The Allen-Kingston Motor Car Company. Their manufacturing took place at Bristol Engineering in Bristol, Connecticut where the first domestically produced Taxicabs were built in 1908, designed by Fred E. Moskovics who had worked at Daimler in the late 1890s. Albert F. Rockwell was the owner of Bristol and his wife suggested he paint his taxicabs yellow to maximise his vehicles' visibility. Moskovics
1534-516: The Regulation of Hackney-Coachmen in London and the places adjacent" was approved by Parliament in 1654 and the first hackney-carriage licences were issued in 1662. A similar service was started by Nicolas Sauvage in Paris in 1637. His vehicles were known as fiacres , as the main vehicle depot apparently was opposite a shrine to Saint Fiacre . (The term fiacre is still used in French to describe
1593-757: The Samuel's Electric Carriage and Wagon Company began running 12 electric hansom cabs . The company ran until 1898 with up to 62 cabs operating until it was reformed by its financiers to form the Electric Vehicle Company . Taxicabs proliferated around the world in the early 20th century. The first major innovation after the invention of the taximeter occurred in the late 1940s, when two-way radios first appeared in taxicabs. Radios enabled taxicabs and dispatch offices to communicate and serve customers more efficiently than previous methods, such as using callboxes . The next major innovation occurred in
1652-556: The UHF range are also licensed in pairs to allow for repeaters, though taxi companies usually use the pair for duplex communications. Taxi dispatch is evolving in connection to the telecom sector with the advent of smart-phones. In some countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK and USA, smartphone applications are emerging that connect taxi drivers directly with passengers for the purpose of dispatching taxi jobs, launching new battles for
1711-650: The United Kingdom, as well as continental European cities, particularly Paris , Berlin , and St Petersburg . The cab was introduced to other British Empire cities and to the United States during the late 19th century, being most commonly used in New York City . The first cab service in Toronto , "The City", was established in 1837 by Thornton Blackburn , an ex-slave whose escape when captured in Detroit
1770-474: The amount of money a driver has to pay upfront to lease a taxi for a specific period of time. Once that amount is collected in fare, the driver then begins to make a profit. A driver "on the nut" is trying to earn back the initial cost. This varies from city to city though, in Las Vegas, Nevada , all taxicabs are owned and operated by the companies and all drivers are employees (hence no initial cost and earn
1829-533: The city often make the vehicles built to fit those requirements ubiquitous to its livery fleets, and often becomes an iconic image of the city itself. Although New York City 's efforts to implement new regulations has stumbled in its efforts to mandate both a hybrid and wheelchair-accessible vehicle, London and Tokyo 's efforts have yielded unique vehicles such the LEVC TX and Toyota JPN Taxi that meet and exceed modern emissions and accessibility requirements for
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1888-428: The customer's as well at times) a cab driver is usually equipped with a detailed roadmap of the area in which they work. There is also an increasing use of GPS driven navigational systems in wealthier countries. In London, despite the complex and haphazard road layout, such aids have only recently been employed by a small number of 'black cab' taxi (as opposed to minicab) drivers. Instead, they are required to undergo
1947-642: The early 17th century. The first documented public hackney coach service for hire was in London in 1605. In 1625 carriages were made available for hire from innkeepers in London and the first taxi rank appeared on the Strand outside the Maypole Inn in 1636. In 1635 the Hackney Carriage Act was passed by Parliament to legalise horse-drawn carriages for hire. Coaches were hired out by innkeepers to merchants and visitors. A further "Ordinance for
2006-448: The elements by the cab and by folding wooden doors that enclosed their feet and legs and thus protected their clothes from splashing mud. Later versions also had an up-and-over glass window above the doors to complete the enclosure of the passengers. Additionally, a curved fender mounted forward of the doors protected passengers from the stones thrown up by the hooves of the horse. Its main features were low-slung bodywork, high wheels and
2065-483: The environment, there have been solar powered taxicabs. On 20 April 2008, a "solar taxi tour" was launched that aimed to tour 15 countries in 18 months in a solar taxi that can reach speeds of 90 km/h with zero emission. The aim of the tour was to spread knowledge about environmental protection. Most taxi companies have some sort of livery on the vehicle, depending on the type of taxi (taxi, cab, private hire, chauffeur), country, region and operator. Most places allow
2124-506: The fire officer in charge, knowing the 40 ambulances he requested were unlikely to be available, requested the Taxi Owners Association to transport the injured to the nearby Birmingham Accident Hospital and Birmingham General Hospital . Taxi services are typically provided by automobiles , but in some countries various human-powered vehicles , (such as the rickshaw or pedicab ) and animal-powered vehicles (such as
2183-502: The first cities to introduce hybrids for taxi service in 2005, with a fleet of 15 Ford Escape Hybrids , and by 2009 the original Escape Hybrids were retired after 480,000 km (300,000 mi) per vehicle. In 2007 the city approved the Clean Air Taxi Grant Program in order to encourage cab companies to purchase alternative fuel vehicles , by providing incentives of US$ 2,000 per new alternative fuel vehicle on
2242-490: The front. Each taxi carried five soldiers, four in the back and one next to the driver. Only the back lights of the taxis were lit; the drivers were instructed to follow the lights of the taxi ahead. The Germans were surprised and were pushed back by the French and British armies. Most of the taxis were demobilized on 8 September but some remained longer to carry the wounded and refugees. The taxis, following city regulations, dutifully ran their meters. The French treasury reimbursed
2301-921: The future, and will hopefully soon extend to other cities as older models get rotated out of the bigger cities and into smaller markets. Modifications of existing minivans such as the Mercedes Vito London Taxi and the Nissan NV200 have been introduced as a stopgap measures to fill the need for alternative products, however their acceptance by drivers is yet to be seen. In recent years, some companies have been adding specially modified vehicles capable of transporting wheelchair -using passengers to their fleets. Such taxicabs are variously called accessible taxis, wheelchair- or wheelchair-accessible taxicabs, modified taxicabs, or "maxicabs". Wheelchair taxicabs are most often specially modified vans or minivans . Wheelchair-using passengers are loaded, with
2360-441: The height of their popularity and they quickly spread to other cities in the United Kingdom (including Ireland), as well as continental European cities, particularly Paris , Berlin , and St Petersburg . The cab was introduced to other British Empire cities and to the United States during the late 19th century, being most commonly used in New York City . The cab, a type of fly , sat two passengers (three if they squeezed in) and
2419-426: The help of the driver, via a lift or, more commonly, a ramp, at the rear of the vehicle. This feature is however a subject for concern amongst Licensing Authorities who feel that the wheelchair passenger could not easily exit the vehicle in the event of accident damage to the rear door. The latest generation of accessible taxis features side loading with emergency egress possible from either of the 2 side doors as well as
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2478-443: The introduction of clockwork mechanical taximeters to measure fares, the name became taxicab . Hansom cabs enjoyed immense popularity as they were fast, light enough to be pulled by a single horse (making the journey cheaper than travelling in a larger four-wheel coach) and were agile enough to steer around horse-drawn vehicles in the notorious traffic jams of nineteenth-century London. There were up to 7500 hansom cabs in use at
2537-466: The journal Atmospheric Environment in January 2006, showed that the level of pollution that Londoners are exposed to differs according to the mode of transport that they use. When in the back seat of a taxicab people were exposed the most, while walking exposing people to the lowest amount of pollution. In Australia, nearly all taxis run on LPG , as well as the growing fleet of hybrids . Argentina and
2596-431: The main cities of Brazil have large fleets of taxis running on natural gas . Many Brazilian taxis are flexible-fuel vehicles running on sugarcane ethanol , and some are equipped to run on either natural gas or as a flex-fuel. At least two Brazilian car makers sell these type of bi-fuel vehicles . Malaysia and Singapore have many of their taxicabs running on compressed natural gas (CNG). San Francisco became one of
2655-415: The marketing of such apps over the potential mass of Taxi users. Taxi fares are set by the state and city where they are permitted to operate. The fare includes the 'drop', a set amount that is tallied for getting into the taxi plus the 'per kilometer' rate as has been set by the city. The taxi meters track time as well as distance in an average taxi fare. In the United States, a nut is industry slang for
2714-399: The meaning of a convertible car . The taxicabs of Paris were equipped with the first meters beginning on 9 March 1898. They were originally called taxamètres , then renamed taximètres on 17 October 1904. Harry Nathaniel Allen of The New York Taxicab Company, who imported the first 600 gas-powered New York City taxicabs from France in 1907, borrowed the word "taxicab" from London, where
2773-465: The point of origin and/or destination. Some of the largest vehicle for hire companies include Uber , Ola Cabs , Bolt , DiDi , and Grab . Hansom cab The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom , an architect from York . The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley , Leicestershire , England . Originally called
2832-411: The rear. The wheelchair is secured using various systems, commonly including some type of belt and clip combination, or wheel locks. Some wheelchair taxicabs are capable of transporting only one wheelchair-using passenger at a time, and can usually accommodate 4 to 6 additional non-disabled passengers. Wheelchair taxicabs are part of the regular fleet in most cases, and so are not reserved exclusively for
2891-421: The size of the taxis, so that large- and small-capacity cabs line up separately. The taxi at the front of the line is due (barring unusual circumstances) for the next fare. Passengers also commonly call a central dispatch office for taxis. In some jurisdictions, private hire vehicles can only be hired from the dispatch office, and must be assigned each fare by the office by radio or phone. Picking up passengers off
2950-528: The street in these areas can lead to suspension or revocation of the driver's taxi license, or even prosecution. Other areas may have a mix of the two systems, where drivers may respond to radio calls and also pick up street fares. Passengers may also hire taxicabs via mobile apps . While not directly involving the call center, the taxis are still monitored by the dispatcher through GPS tracking. Many taxicab companies, including Gett , Easy Taxi , and GrabTaxi provide mobile apps . The activity of taxi fleets
3009-406: The streets". The cabs were widely used in the United Kingdom until 1908 when Taximeter Cars (petrol cabs) started to be introduced and were rapidly accepted; by the early 1920s horse-drawn cabs had largely been superseded by motor vehicles. The last licence for a horse-drawn cab in London was relinquished in 1947. A restored hansom cab once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt is on display at
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#17327763313893068-588: The total fare of 70,012 francs. The military impact of the soldiers moved by taxi was small in the huge scale of the Battle of the Marne, but the effect on French morale was enormous; it became the symbol of the solidarity between the French army and citizens. It was also the first recorded large-scale use of motorized infantry in battle. The Birmingham pub bombings on 21 November 1974, which killed 21 people and injured 182, presented emergency services with unprecedented peacetime demands. According to eyewitness accounts,
3127-490: The use of wheelchair users. They are often used by non-disabled people who need to transport luggage, small items of furniture, animals, and other items. Because of this, and since only a small percentage of the average fleet is modified, wheelchair users must often wait for significantly longer periods when calling for a cab, and flagging a modified taxicab on the street is much more difficult. London's taxis have been fully accessible since January 2000, with all taxis fitted with
3186-586: The vehicle, for better control. There would be room for two passengers facing forward, on a single cross-seat, their legs protected by knee flaps. Other vehicles similar to the Hansom cab include the American light trade cart for deliveries such as bread, the bow-fronted hansom which was fully enclosed and entered through a side door, and the Brougham Hansom which was entered from the rear and driven from
3245-480: The vehicles after a few years of service, which requires the cars to be well equipped and kept in good condition. Cities like London and Tokyo have implemented specific regulations like London's Conditions of Fitness that dictate size, fuel efficiency, emissions, and accessibility standards far stricter than that for private vehicles. Much like the NY Checker cabs of the 60s–80s, the unique attributes of
3304-669: The word was in use by early 1907. A popular but erroneous account holds that the vehicles were named after Franz von Taxis from the house of Thurn and Taxis , a 16th-century postmaster for Philip of Burgundy , and his nephew Johann Baptiste von Taxis, General Postmaster for the Holy Roman Empire . Both instituted fast and reliable postal services (conveying letters, with some post routes transporting people) across Europe. Their surname derives from their 13th-century ancestor Omodeo Tasso . Horse-drawn for-hire hackney carriage services began operating in both Paris and London in
3363-459: Was abandoned. The New Zealand Taxi Federation is the national advocacy group for taxi companies within New Zealand. Most experienced taxi drivers who have been working in the same city or region for a while would be expected to know the most important streets and places where their customers request to go. However, to aid the process of manual navigation and the taxi driver's memory (and
3422-462: Was one of the organizers of the first Yellow Taxicab Company in New York. Electric battery-powered taxis became available at the end of the 19th century. In London, Walter Bersey designed a fleet of such cabs and introduced them to the streets of London on 19 August 1897. They were soon nicknamed 'Hummingbirds' due to the idiosyncratic humming noise they made. In the same year in New York City,
3481-787: Was the impetus for the Blackburn Riots . The modern taximeter was invented and perfected by a trio of German inventors; Wilhelm Friedrich Nedler, Ferdinand Dencker and Friedrich Wilhelm Gustav Bruhn . The Daimler Victoria—the world's first motorized-powered taximeter-cab—was built by Gottlieb Daimler in 1897 and began operating in Stuttgart in June 1897. Gasoline-powered taxicabs began operating in Paris in 1899, in London in 1903, and in New York in 1907. The New York taxicabs were initially imported from France by Harry N. Allen, owner of
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