Taxicabs around the world
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[edit] Australia
Horse drawn taxis had been used in Europe in the early 1800s. Australia adopted the use of them once cities were established. Motor vehicle taxis were introduced into Australia not long after they were put into service in Great Britain and Europe. In 1906, Sydney inaugurated motorised taxicabs, followed soon after by the other states including Queensland, in approximately, 1907.
The progress through the years included many types of tourers from the 1910 era until the late 1920s, with British and American cars predominating.
Sedans were added during the late 1920s and included similar makes of vehicles. This was the case with all cars being imported into Australia until World War II began. The American cars proved more suitable to Australian motoring conditions especially for taxi work. General Motors Corporation built thousands in Australia, as did the other American companies including Ford and Chrysler.
[edit] France
The first horse-drawn forerunners of taxis appeared on Parisian streets in 1637. France was one of the first countries to use modern taxis--that is, gasoline-powered vehicles with fare meters. New York's first taxis were imported from France in 1907, and taxis were famously used for troop transportation during the First Battle of the Marne.
[edit] Germany
In Germany, taxicabs are a light, pale yellow/beige (ivory-colored, RAL number 1015) (since November 2005 in some jurisdictions the color has not been compulsory anymore; before 1971 they were black), with a small illuminated cylinder-like "TAXI" sign on the roof of the car (on when available, off otherwise). Typically the taxicabs are Mercedes-Benz E-Class along with other, mainly German, brands. Taxicabs are either sedans, station wagons, or MPVs. Common station wagon taxicabs include Volkswagen Passat, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Among the MPVs, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, and Mercedes-Benz V-Class are common. Most taxicabs are automatic transmission, and some have navigation systems on board. Rates are high; the convenience and high quality of public transportation in most German cities all but eliminates the necessity for German civilians to use taxicabs.
[edit] Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, there are three types of taxis, painted in different colours, serving different parts of the territory. The most common one, which is painted in red. Most taxis are Toyota Crown Comfort. The red taxi serves throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Green taxis serve the New Territories and blue taxis serve Lantau Island.
Taxis pick up passengers from streets, or by radio-dispatch by phone. Fares are charged according to the distance measured by meters. Surcharges include tolls, luggages and pets.
[edit] India
Taxicabs in India are mostly Premier Padmini or Hindustan Ambassador cars. They have a yellow-black livery, and taxicab drivers paint many signs and slogans such as God is Great etc. Most of these cabs do not have an air conditioning system but there are 'Cool Cabs' which are air-conditioned.
Indian taxis are very cheap and the drivers are very friendly. Depending on the city/state, taxis can either be hailed or are hired from taxi-stands. In cities such as Delhi, taxis need to be hired from taxi, whereas in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, taxis can be hailed on the street. There are additional surcharges for luggage, late-night rides and toll taxes are to be paid by the passenger.
By Government regulations all taxis are required to have a fare-meter installed. However, regualtion by authorities is lax and many cabs operate either without fare-meter or with defunct ones. In such cases, fare is decided by bargaining between the customer and the driver.
Taxis face stiff competition from auto rickshaws but in some cities, for example Mumbai, auto rickshaws are banned in the main city district, thus giving taxis a monopoly.
[edit] Indonesia
Taxi cabs began to be popular in Jakarta since early 1970s with cars like Datsun 220C, Holden Torana, and Toyota Corona. Smaller cars like Toyota Corolla, and various types of Datsun were also used from mid 1970s to late 1980s.
In the 1970s, taxis were in various colours, although at that time mostly yellow, and a quite reliable and famous operator ran light blue taxis. The major vehicle replacement for most taxi operators was in mid-1980s when they replaced their old fleet with Nissan Stanza 1.6 T11. With the exception of the popular light blue, all other operators had their Stanzas painted yellow.
Due to poor sales in the private car market, but good fuel economy and reliability, Holden Gemini diesel cars were used as taxis during the 1980s. The same happened to Nissan Sunnys and Ford Lasers from the late 1980s to late 1990s.
Since the colour of most reliable taxi company in Jakarta is medium blue metallic (previously light blue), few other operators copied their colour, and even the shape of the roof sign. This could mislead someone when hail the taxi on the street. Although most taxis are blue, there are also painted in any colour depends on the operators.
The new taxicabs in Jakarta are mostly Toyota Limo, which is a lower spec of Toyota Vios. Before the introduction of Limo in 2004, the most popular taxi was Toyota Soluna, which based on the 1995 Toyota Tercel. Currently many Solunas are still in operation alongside the Limo. Other cars also used as taxis are Hyundai Excel, and Kia Rio. Only one operator runs the Nissan Sunny 1.6 Neo.
There are also executive taxis, these are black Nissan Cedric Y31 and Toyota Crown Comfort.
[edit] Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, the term taxi is reserved for vehicles that may pick up on streets and where the fare is determined by a meter. In 2006 there were over 16,000 taxis in the Republic, the majority in Dublin. Taxi vehicles do not have to be a particular colour but all carry a distinctive roofsign with the licence number prominently displayed. A wide range of vehicles are used, typically medium-sized saloons, such as a Toyota Corolla. Some wheelchair accessible taxis are available, typically using a small van such as a Fiat Scudo. In September 2006 a nationwide taxi fare system was introduced so that charges no longer depend on the county or city council area.
The term hackney is used in Ireland to refer to a service which can only carry passengers from a pre-booked destination (or the hackney company's office) to another destination, similar to a minicab in Britain. Such vehicles are indicated by a small yellow plate above the registration plate with the word Hackney and the licence information. They normally operate for an agreed fare.
Both taxis and hackneys are licenced by the Commission for Taxi Regulation.[1]
[edit] Mexico
In Mexico City, according to Mexican legislation introduced in 2001, public taxicabs (in contrast with private taxicabs, or 'taxis de sitio') must be 4-door red cars, with a white roof. Before 2001 most taxicabs were green Volkswagen Beetles with a white roof. They had the front-left seat removed in order to ease entry for passengers.
Originally they were yellow with white roof, until they were changed in mid-90s (allegedly because of yellow color being the official color of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática who at the time was competing for the newly-created Mexican District gobernancy with the Partido Revolucionario Institucional which is mostly identified with green color. Officially it was to identify green taxicabs as enviromentaly-friendly 'ecológicos', but still being exactly the same polluting Volkswagen Beetles.) As in most of the world a special license must be obtained in order to run a taxicab.
[edit] Oman
Taxicabs in Oman are usually yellow models of Toyota or Nissan. They do not have any meters installed. Fare is generally decided by bargaining with the driver, though most commuters have a good idea of what can be considered a reasonable price. The rider may choose to have the taxi "shared," or "engaged." In an engaged taxi, the driver will not take any more passenger (as opposed to a shared taxi). Usually drivers charge much more to have the taxi engaged, sometimes as much as 8-10 times the price of a shared taxi. In a shared taxi, the driver will usually get more people who need to go along the same way. Due to low costs of fuel and fairly high purchasing power parity in Oman, taxicabs are extremely cheap when compared to other parts of the world, even in the engaged mode.
A variation of the shared taxi also exists. These are usually 12-seater Toyota vans. These taxis ply along a fixed route, stopping mostly at bus stops to pick and drop passengers. Passengers usually hop onto the taxi that is headed towards their destination. To attract more passengers, taxis stick to highways and main roads. If one wishes to go towards a place not along the main road, it is generally more economical to use a shared van to commute between two bus stops, and then switch over to another taxi headed for the destination, as opposed to taking the regular taxi to commute between the 2 places.
For a generally idea, traversing from one end of the city to the other would cost approx. R.O. 5-6 (US$ 12-15) for an engaged taxi, and about R.O. 0.8-1.0 (US$ 2-2.6) in a shared van.
[edit] Philippines
Taxicabs in the Philippines are almost always white. In metropolitan Manila, some cab companies use bicolor configurations to help distinguish their cars from other companies. Many taxis here are 7th or 8th generation Toyota Corollas, though Mitsubishi Lancers, Nissan Sentras can also be found. Toyota Tamaraws also serve as Manila's famous "FX taxis", albeit in more of a shuttle form serving certain routes, much like jeepneys. The popular Honda Civics cannot be used as taxis due to a stipulation in the buyer's contract that these cars cannot be used as such. In Baguio City, cabs are mainly Kia Prides. Taxi fare usually starts at Php 25.00 (0.52 US cents) and an additional Php 2.50 (0.05 US cents).
[edit] Russia
Regulated 'official' taxis are rare in Moscow, but there is a long tradition of so-called (in English) 'gypsy-cabs'. These are private motorists, typically in Lada 1300s or similar vehicles, who will pick up passengers in the street. For some drivers gypsy-cab work is their main source of income, whereas many others will cruise around after finishing their day jobs. Some Muscovites who are not driving specifically for hire will nevertheless pick up paying passengers travelling in the direction of their own destination.
Gypsy-cabs can be hailed within moments in central Moscow by stepping up to the kerb and raising a hand. Driver and passenger will negotiate a price through the front window; occasionally the driver does not wish to go to the requested destination or the passenger and driver cannot agree a mutually acceptable price, in which case the car may leave and the passenger is able to try his luck with another one.
While there is obviously a risk of crime in getting into a stranger's car in any city, using gypsy-cabs in Moscow is seen as relatively safe. The British Embassy in the city officially discourages the practice but many British expatriates, particularly younger people likely to be out late at night, use them regularly without trouble.
In contrast to taxicabs, prebooked private-hire vehicles are available in Moscow on a conventional commercial basis.
[edit] Singapore
Total fleet: 19,007. Daily trips: about 588,632
All taxicabs are fitted with meters and air conditioning; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch
In the mid of 1960s the first taxicab company had their taxis painted black with yellow roof top. The model was Mercedes Benz Ponton 220S and followed by Austin Cambridge A60 until mid 1970s.
In the 1970s the most popular taxicabs in Singapore were painted pale light blue. In the early 1990s many new taxis started having new liveries, although the biggest taxicab company retains the pale blue colour with a new logo.
Early armadas were Volga Gaz 24, Isuzu Florian and Morris Marina which replaced by Nissan Cedric (Datsun 220C Diesel), the most common taxicab in the 1970s and 1980s. The Toyota Crown Diesel is the most popular taxi since the mid-1980s until today.
The smaller Toyota Corona marked the late 1980s to mid 1990s era. Currently cars commonly used as taxicabs in Singapore are Nissan Cedric Y31, Toyota Crown Diesel, and Austin London taxicab. In the mid 90s, Mercedes-Benz E-Class taxis were introduced as a premium service. Mercedes-Benz V-Class 'Maxicabs' followed soon after to cater to those who needed taxis to ferry a greater number of passengers. With the introduction of the Euro IV emissions standard for diesels in October 2006, taxicab companies have started using a greater variety of models as taxicabs. Cars such as the Skoda Superb, VW Touran and the SsangYong Rodius (Stavic) have begun appearing on the roads of Singapore as taxicabs.
[edit] South Korea
In South Korea, taxi system is well organized in every cities and provinces. In cities such as Seoul, one of the largest cities in the world, taxis are very common everywhere within the city. There are two types of taxis in the country: an "ordinary" (ilban;일반) taxi and a "model" (mobum;모범) taxi, which is painted black and is bigger (in size) and much more expensive than the former ones. There are two types of taxi drivers' license also: all taxi drivers start driving their taxi as employees in the taxi companies, and these taxis that belong to a company are called "corporate" (bubin;법인) taxi. After years of service in the taxi company, drivers get a license which allows them to purchase their own vehicle and drive it as a self-employed driver, and the taxis they drive are called "individual" (gaein;개인) taxi.
For "ordinary" taxis, there is an extra 20% increase in fare after midnight, but this does not apply to the "model" taxis. Most "ordinary" taxis are silver or white in color. Virtually all Korean taxicabs are Korean car models, and meter fares start at 1,500 or 1,900 South Korean won (an equivalent of around $1.50 or $1.90). The fares are much cheaper than in major cities in Europe and North America, and no extra fares are charged for luggage. All taxis are labelled in Korean with a sign "individual (개인)," "model (모범)" or the name of the company if the taxi belongs to a taxi company, and has a half-sphere on top of a half-pyramid attached on the roof and labelled "TAXI".
[edit] Sweden
In Sweden most taxis are painted black or dark blue. The cars used are mostly upmarket estates such as the Volvo V70, Mercedes-Benz E-class and the Saab 9-5.
[edit] Taiwan
Taxicabs in Taiwan are yellow. The Road Traffic Security Rules (zh:道路交通安全規則) require drivers to be at least 20 years old and have occupational driver licenses. When drivers reach 60 years old, they may continue to drive taxis until 65 years old when passing annual physical examinations. Taxis in bigger cities are widely metered with fares generally based on distances and now more commonly with surcharges for times in slow and stopped traffic. As Chinese New Year is the most important holiday, surcharges may also be payable.
Whenever major crimes have occurred, many people, especially women, have felt less confident to ride taxis due to safety and security concerns, causing taxi drivers to carry even fewer passengers. After two major murders in late 1996, even Yao Kao-chiao (姚高橋), the Chief of the National Police Agency, Ministry of The Interior at that time, said that his daughter would dare not to ride taxis.[2] Many taxi drivers considered his speech impacting and discriminating against them.[3]
[edit] Thailand
Taxis are widely available in Bangkok and come in many different colors. Most are metered. Fares start at 35 baht, with surcharges for traffic jams. Passengers must also pay any highway tolls. Outside Bangkok, metered taxis are not very common. Cars with drivers can be hired for longer trips, but for short trips around the towns, songthaews, tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis are the common conveyances.
[edit] United Kingdom
There is a mature system of taxicabs throughout the United Kingdom. All taxicabs are regulated with various degrees of sophistication. However, London's black cabs, also known as hackney carriages, are particularly notable on account of the specially constructed vehicles and the extensive training course (The Knowledge) required for fully licensed drivers.
There are three types of taxicabs:
- Hackney carriages ('Black cabs') can be hailed in the street or hired from a taxi rank.
- Private hire ('Minicabs') are passenger vehicles which are either saloons that carry up to four passengers or MPVs that are licensed for up to six or seven passengers. These cannot be hailed in the street and must be pre-booked by telephone.
- Chauffeur cars are a sub-set of private hire; generally a higher value of car such as a Mercedes or BMW where the passenger pays a premium but in return receives a higher level of comfort and courtesy from the driver who may at times wear a uniform.
Luton has the highest numbers of taxi cabs per head of population in the United Kingdom.
[edit] United States
Throughout the United States there is a mature system of taxicabs. Most US cities have a licensing scheme which restricts the number of taxicabs allowed. These are sometimes called medallions or CPNC (Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience).
Often taxi businesses own their own cars, and the drivers are hired by the company as independent contractors. However, cabs can also be owned by separately-incorporated small businesses that subscribe to a dispatch service, in which case the company logo on the door is that of the dispatch association.
A suburban taxi company may operate under several different names serving several adjacent towns. They often provide different phone numbers for each fleet, but they usually all ring into a central dispatch office. They may have subsidiary taxi businesses holding medallions in each town. Taxi companies also may run multiple businesses, such as non-medallion car services, delivery services, and school buses, for additional revenue, as the infrastructure required for maintaining, operating and dispatching the fleet can be shared.
