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Horse-drawn for-hire Hackney Carriage services began operating in both Paris and London in the early 17th Century . Royal proclamations in both cities regulated the number of carriages--the first example of taxicab regulation. In the 19th Century , Hansom Cab s largely replaced the older designs because of their improved speed and safety. Although battery-powered vehicles enjoyed a brief success in Paris, London, and New York in the 1890s , the 1891 invention by German Wilhelm Bruhn of the Taximeter (the familiar mechanical and now often electronic device that calculates the fare in most taxis) ushered in the modern taxi. (The "taxi" in "taximeter" is related to the word "tax," or "rate.") The first modern meter-equipped taxi was the Daimler Victoria , built by Gottlieb Daimler in 1897 ; the first motorized taxi company began operating in Stuttgart the same year. Petrol powered taxis began operating in Paris in 1899 , in London in 1903 , and in New York in 1907 . The New York taxis were imported from France by businessperson Harry N. Allen , who adapted the French word ''taxi-mètre'' and coined the word "taxicab" to describe the vehicles he was importing. In time, the shortened term "taxi" came into common usage. (Allen was also the first person to paint his taxis yellow, after learning that yellow is the colour most easily seen from a distance.) .]] Taxis 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 Radio s first appeared in taxicabs. Radios enabled taxis and Dispatch offices to communicate and serve customers more efficiently than previous methods, such as using Callbox es. The next major innovation occurred in the 1980s , when Computer Assisted Dispatch ing was first introduced. There has generally been a legal struggle concerning the certification of motor vehicles to be taxis, which take much more wear than a private car does. In Britain, they were additionally required to meet stringent specifications, for example, as concerns turn radius, which resulted for a time in having only one make legally usable. In the US, in the 1930s the cabs were often DeSoto s or Packard s. General Motors offered a specialized vehicle for a time, named the General . The firm Checker came into existence then, and went out of business in the 1970s. Its cars were specially built to carry "double dates." But now New York City requires that all taxicabs be ordinary cars. They are usually large Fords. In the 1960s in Europe, Mercedes Benz and Peugeot offered diesel taxicabs. This form of engine is now quite common there. (Sources: BBC America: Ask a Cabby ; The New York City Taxicab Fact Book (2003), p. 22 ; Today in Science History ). Vehicles taxi, the Crown Victoria ]]Taxi service is typically provided by Automobiles , but various Human Powered Vehicles (such as the Rickshaw ) and Animal Powered Vehicles (such as the Hansom Cab ) or even boats (such as Water Taxis or Gondolas ) are also used or have been used historically. In Western Europe it is not uncommon for expensive cars such as Mercedes-Benz to be the taxi of choice. Often this decision is based upon the perceived reliability of, and warranty offered with these vehicles. These taxi-service vehicles are often equipped with four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines and low levels of equipment, and are not considered luxury cars. (This often surprises Americans, who are used to seeing only the upmarket trims and associate Mercedes-Benz cars with luxury.) Taxis in less developed places can be a completely different experience, such as the ancient French cars typically found in , Minivan and even SUV taxis are becoming increasingly common. In many cities, Limousine s operate as well, usually in competition with taxis and at higher fares. Wheelchair accessible taxis In recent years, some companies have been adding specially modified vehicles capable of transporting Wheelchair -using passengers to their fleets. Such taxis are variously called accessible taxis, wheelchair- or wheelchair-accessible taxis, modified taxis, and so on. Wheelchair taxis are most often Van s or Minivan s which have undergone special modifications. Wheelchair-using passengers are loaded, with the help of the driver, via a lift or, more commonly, a ramp, at the rear of the vehicle. The wheelchair is secured using various systems, commonly including some type of belt and clip combination, or wheel locks. Most wheelchair cabs are capable of transporting only one wheelchair-using passenger at a time, though most can accommodate up to four additional Able-bodied passengers. Wheelchair taxis are part of the regular fleet in most cases, and so are not reserved exclusively for the use of wheelchair users. They are often used by able-bodied 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 cab on the street is much more difficult. This can result in several hazardeous conditions. Livery Originally, hackney carriage companies were distinguished from each other by their drivers' Livery (uniforms) and by the colours of their carriages. For example, at the end of the 19th Century in Paris, ''Compagnie Generale'' carriages were painted blue, while those of ''Abeille'' were painted green ( "The Paris Cabman" ). During the early years of the twentieth century, private cars were usually black because paints of other colours were not durable. Taxis were the exception, as they would be touched up or worn out. Around the world today, taxi companies are still distinguished by the way their cars are painted. , India .]] In North America , many older taxi companies are named according to their paint schemes. Thus, " Yellow Cab s" are painted yellow, Checker Cab s have a distinctive black-and-white or black-and-yellow checkerboard stripe around their bodies, "Blue and White Cabs" might have blue bodies and white roofs, and "Black Top" and "Red Top Cabs" have black and red roofs respectively. In the 1920s, a famous company named "Brown and White" lost a lawsuit to prevent other taxi drivers from painting their cars these colours. Some localities require their cabs to be particular colors. Mexico City's ubiquitous VW Type 1 ( Beetle ) cabs are green and white by law. Taxis Of Hong Kong have three colours based on service area. Red for urban Hong Kong , green for New Territories and blue for Lantau Island . The colours are to prevent service imbalance between less densely populated areas and urban centres of the territory. In a slightly different sense of ''livery'', the Worshipful Company Of Hackney Carriage Drivers became a City Of London Livery Company in 2004 . Regulation It is often the case that people in general use the term "taxi" to refer to both the black cab and the minicab. This is incorrect, and when a minicab company uses the word taxi on their livery it can lead to prosecution by the local government body. A cab that cannot be flagged down on the street is known as a Private Hire Vehicle (in North America, a livery car or for-hire vehicle). Both taxis and drivers are regulated to greatly varying degrees in different places, from free-for-all to highly restrictive licensing schemes. In many countries, the number of taxis and the areas where they may operate are strictly controlled by a regulatory body. (Paradoxically, taxis are often most heavily regulated in wealthy, Laissez-faire economies--as exemplified by the strict systems in London and New York , which are discussed below.) In such systems, a person must purchase a license or medallion if he or she wishes to own a taxi. In many jurisdictions, both owners and non-owning drivers of taxis are also tested and licensed by the police or the regulatory body. Police checks and more extensive background checks, training courses and chaperones are often used when drivers are asked to deal with special needs customers on a regular basis. with the Vanity Plate "TIIPME".]] Hiring Taxis are often "hailed" or "flagged" on the street, either by a passenger as a taxi is driving by, or at a Taxi Stand (sometimes also called a "cab stand" or "hack stand," also "taxi rank" or " Cab Rank "). Taxi stands are usually located at airports, railway stations, and hotels, as well as at other places where large numbers of passengers are likely to be found. In some places—Japan, for example—taxi stands are arranged according to the size of the taxis, so that large- and small-capacity cabs line up separately. Passengers also commonly call a central dispatch office for taxis. Private Hire vehicles can only be hired from the dispatch office, they have to be given each fare they carry over the radio or from their office. To pick up off the street can lead to suspension and revocation of the driver's taxi license and prosecution. This doesn't always stop it from happening, but people standing at the road side rarely understand why a taxi won't stop for them. Dispatching The activity of taxi fleets is usually monitored and controlled by a central office, which provides Dispatch ing, 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 a taxi stand—to contact the dispatch office. When a customer calls for a taxi, a trip is dispatched by either radio or computer 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 in to the "zone" surrounding the pickup address. Cabs are sometimes dispatched from their taxi stands; 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 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 the UHF range are also licensed in pairs to allow for repeaters, though taxi companies usually use the pair for Duplex communications. Some companies don't operate their own radio system and instead subscribe to an SMR system. The conventional radios are most suited to companies that operate within the local area and have a high volume of radio traffic. The SMR is more commonly used by black car services that cover a wider area, and smaller companies who use less airtime and don't want to run their own radio systems. Some small car services don't use a dispatcher at all. Instead the customers' calls are forwarded to the cell phones of whichever drivers are on duty at the time. Fares For the distance travelled, fares for taxis are usually higher than for other forms of public transport ( Bus , Tram , Metro , Train ). The fare often does not depend on the number of people travelling together in a taxi. Sometimes there is a system where strangers share a taxi and fares are per person. Fares are usually calculated according to a combination of distance and waiting time, and are measured by a Taximeter ("meter" for short and the origin of the word "taxi"). Instead of a metered fare, passengers sometimes pay a flat fare. In some countries, when demand is high—for instance, late at night—a taxi will pick up whoever offers the highest fare. ese taxicab in Kyoto with GPS Navigation on board'']] Navigation 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 might want to go. However, to aid the process of manual Navigation and the taxi driver's Memory (and 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 the more wealthy countries around the world. International Trade Association Established in 1917, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) is a non-profit trade association of and for the private passenger transportation industry. The membership spans the globe to include 1,100 Taxicab companies, Executive Sedan and Limousine services, Airport Shuttle fleets, Non-emergency Medical Transportation companies, and Paratransit services. Taxis around the world Australia The advent of Taxi Cabs in the State of Queensland began about thirty years before the turn of the 20th century. This of course was long before motorised vehicles; in fact, horse drawn taxis had been used in Europe in the early 1800's. Australia adopted the use of them once cities were established, and in the case of Queensland , Brisbane introduced the first Horse drawn taxis, which plied through out the city area. These also included Hansom Cabs , a more elaborate type with a closed in cabin for the passengers, having two small front doors and glass windows and their driver sitting high at the back. This type of vehicle was a standard type used in England . Its use was confined mainly for upper class people; such as Luxury Motor Vehicles which are operated as Hire Cars nowadays. It is interesting to note that Hansom Cabs were still being used in Brisbane until 1935, and were emanating from a rank outside the Supreme Court in George Street. Motor vehicle Taxis were introduced into Australia not long after they were put into service in Great Britain and Europe . First Motorised Taxis In Australia In 1906, Sydney inaugurated motorised Taxicabs , followed soon after by the other states including Queensland , in approximately, 1907. The Taxis of the period including a variety of types, with tourers and Sedans , the latter were mainly French built Renault s, which were designed as Taxis , not unlike the Hansom Cabs. Brisbane had a number of them that plied from the ranks outside Parliament House in Alice Street, and The Supreme Court in George Street. As applied to the Hansom Cabs, the Renaults catered mainly for gentlemen of standing, including Judges, Barristers and other notables. The drivers wore uniforms with leggings, the same as those worn by chauffeurs of horse drawn carriages. It is worth mentioning at this stage, that each large taxi company had Telephones installed in a steel box type cover at city and suburban ranks, direct to the switch control rooms in the city. Although motor vehicle taxis were being used at the time, Horse drawn taxis continued in use in Brisbane until the early 1920's, however, only a few. The country towns still had them a little longer. The progress through the years included many types of tourers from the 1910 era until the late 1920's, with British and American cars predominating. Makes featured such names as Buick , Dodge , Talbot , Vauxhall , Saxon , Ford , Chandler , Studebaker , Chevrolet , Hupmobile , Whippet , Oldsmobile , Marmon , Pontiac , Hudson , Oakland , Erskine , Rugby , Essex and Chrysler . Sedans were added during the late 1920's 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 . Prior to a taxi company being formed in Queensland , owners of taxis simply had signs on the vehicles indicating "For Hire" painted on the side, front and rear. Prior to 1924, all taxis plied for hire without a means of recording the mileage, other than the driver himself calculating the Fare according to how far he drove his passengers. There was a fare scale, however, the driver could charge whatever he thought was nearest to the amount specified. This no doubt, brought about the introduction of meters. Ascot Taxi Service The first taxi company in Queensland , was Ascot Taxi Service and was formed in 1919 in Brisbane by two motor mechanics. Edmund William Henry Beckman and Edward Roland Videan . They built the Ascot Garage at Racecourse Road Ascot, which was on the left side between Beatrice Terrace and Lancaster Road. They set up business in motor repairs, soon after they purchased their first hire car. followed by two Willys Knight Tourers and an Overland which was actually the first sedan taxi in Brisbane. These four cars comprised the Ascot fleet. Eddie Beckman was also interested in Aviation , so in 1924 he travelled to Sydney and purchased an ex World War' trainer Aeroplane , an Avro 504 K single-engine, 2 seat biplane registered G-ADDER and engaged West Australian pilot, Horrie Millar to establish Brisbane's first aerial service for charter and Joy Flights -thus providing an Air Taxi Service and a taxi cab company. In 1926 Edward Videon left the Ascot Garage. leaving Eddie Beckman to carry on the business with his brother-in-law Charles Dabelstein The Avro G-ADDER aeroplane was sold to notable Australian airman Charles Ulm and in 1928, a second Avro 504 K , G-A UEW, was bought for hire under the name of Ascot Aerial Service . The depression year 1930 caused the business to go broke. It was bought by William Wilton and Jim Jeffry . They continued the company as an exclusive taxi service for the rich and famous of the Ascot and Hamilton areas, using black luxury cars including Oldsmobile , Pontiac s and Plymouth s with drivers dressed in Double Breasted Suit s, a black cap and Leather Gloves . In the ceiling of the garage were a few remains of the old aeroplane. It was decided to use the shape of the propellers in a decal for the side of taxis, with a white diamond band. In 1935 the business was moved into the city to Edward Street near the corner of Margaret Street, however, the cars remained operating from the garage at Ascot. The following year (1936), land was purchased at 73 Barry Parade, Fortitude Valley. The front office and switch room were then built. A row of , Caltex , Mobil and Purpull . The Switch Room was operated by staff during the day and the taxi owners at night until 12 midnight, the bowsers closed at 6pm. An attractive sign was erected in the front of the building. circular in shape, it had Ascot Taxi Service around the outside with Telephone Number B1404 at the bottom. The two old aeroplane propellers were attached to the sign, which was illuminated by Neon Tubing providing bright lighting. Making this building the company's permanent home has proved successful for over fifty years. Many innovations and improvements have taken place. One highly important aspect is that the Ascot Taxi Service was the first taxi company in Queensland to install and introduce Two-way Radio s in taxis. This was in 1953 with PYE equipment. At this period many of the taxi fleet were large American cars including pre-war models in excellent condition. The colour scheme of Ascot remained all black with a white stripe with black centre spots on each side of the cars and propeller decals on the front doors. The first colour change took place in the early 1960's, this became green and yellow, remaining until the middle 1970's, when changed to off white. The company changed colour once more when the name of Ascot Taxi Service was changed to Q Cabs on 6 June 1992. They became light cream with maroon emblems of Q Cabs on both sides, bonnet and boot. Thus this company has been operating over 70 years, creating a fine record for a Brisbane Taxi Company. Yellow Cab Company During the 1920's the Yellow Cab Company imported their taxis from the U.S.A. , which were built especially for taxi work by the Yellow Cab Co. in Chicago . This was in 1924; the vehicle was the A2 Brougham (mustard pots) -a sedan with the driver separated from the passengers by a window with the baggage compartment in front beside him. The Meter was along side the window by the drivers side. The taxis were also the first fitted with meters in Australia . The vehicle was known as a Yellow Cab , having been built by the company with that name plate on the front of the radiator. The engines were also built especially for the type and were similar to the Willys Knight . The driver's compartment did not have side windows. The Broughams were taken out of service in 1936. Four 1927 American Durant sedan taxis were used until this period. also when they were replaced with a fleet of 1935 and 1936 Ford V-8 sedans and other American makes. However, one Brougham remained in use until 1939. This had an Electric Starter , the others were crank started by hand which proved time consuming each time a car was called to pick up a passenger. In 1934 the Yellow Cab Company absorbed the Reel Taxi Company , which had about 25 cabs mainly 1926 Dodge sedans painted blue and black top and mudguards with black checks on stripe below windows. This company began operating about 1926 from a depot in Upper Edward Street in Brisbane, which became the Yellow Cabs depot until ceasing business in 1946. In the pre-war period the Yellow Cab Company in Brisbane was owned by John Morgan ; the Manager was Reginald Brooks and the Superintendent was Jack Upton . The company had 300 cabs. However, in 1950 the Yellow Cab Co. was reformed when the Ampol Petroleum Co. took control and built a garage in Brisbane with eight cabs. Taxi phones were installed at ranks only , as the company did not have Two-way Radio s in cabs until the mid 1950's. The present Base Terminal at Coorparoo was officially opened by the then Minister For Transport , Mr Chalk in July 1960. At this time the Company had a fleet of 153 cabs operating at one Shilling per Mile and a communication base or radio room with facilities for Two-way Radio operators and three telephonists despatching an average of 2,000 radio calls per day or an average of 13 radio calls per cab per day The radio room was officially opened by the Minister For Transport , at the time, Mr Bill Knox, in November 1968, providing modern switchboard and Two-way Radio equipment costing approximately $40,000 which extended facilities to four radio operators and eight telephonists. The fleet now was 240 cabs with an average of 4.000 radio calls per day or 17 radio calls per car per day. The original phone number for Yellow Cabs in the 1930's and 40's was very easy, being B2222. The Yellow Cab Company has now become the largest cab fleet in Brisbane and introduced the first computerised data dispatch from the control room to taxis. The system was designed to increase efficiency and provide a better and safer service for the public and increase drivers security. The computers have been installed into the fleet of over 580 taxis. The history of taxi cabs in Brisbane proves interesting, for smaller companies came and went during the 1930's, mainly because of the depression from 1929. Previous Cab Companies The companies included Rex Taxi Co. with only a few cars, Golden Gate Taxis , only a few cars, including two 1935 De Soto s. The colour scheme was black with orange mudguards. Returned Serviceman's Legion Taxi's -This company started approximately in 1928 and continued until 1939. The colours were mid blue, black top and mudguards with diamond stripe around sides. The company was reformed after World War II . These cars were all black with the emblems on the front doors. The colour was changed about 1949 to yellow with green mudguards. The depot and garage was at South Brisbane . The company was absorbed by Miller Bros Hire Co. in the early 1950's. One of the original taxis of the company, a 1927 Auburn Sedan , is being restored in Brisbane . The Regent Taxi Co. started in the early 1930's, the colours being all black with diamond stripes around sides and an emblem with a crown on the front doors. The cars were mainly Hudsons and the company closed about 1939. All the companies operated mainly from the Brisbane city ranks and did not have a phone service. The Blue And Black Taxi Service began in 1929 and operated until approximately 1939. The company was not to be confused with the Blue And White Company . The colours were mid blue with black top and mudguards and "Q" emblems on the front doors. Taxis included a variety of 20 American sedans. The owner of the company was Pop Blinkins . Blue And White Taxi Company The Blue and White Taxi Co. was inaugurated in May 1929 It's colours were mid blue with black top and mudguards with white stripes and black dots around sides. Various types of American cars were operated. This company became very popular and had a large number of 1936 Hudson Terraplane cars during the late 1930's through the 40's and still in use until 1950. One in particular had done over 500,000 miles and still looked good. Taxis were allowed up to 15 years service as taxis at that time. The Blue and White company was originally in George Street, Brisbane , opposite the Hotel Cecil ; the depot and garage being underneath Garden Flats. It was from 1929 until 1950 when a new building was built at the corner of Eagle Terrace and Key Street, North Quay. It is interesting to note that Bells Hire Service , a Hire Car Company was in the same garage in George Street. prior to Blue And White Co. Bells operated for some years during the 1920's. In fact, it was the same company that had horse drawn Hansom Cabs in the Brisbane city area in the 1920's until 1935. Following the Blue and White companies move to North Quay, it was thirty years later, in fact, in July 1983 that the company merged with the Black And White Cab Company . During June 1947 Blue and White received a record 16,9874 calls. At the time that the Blue and White Company went to North Quay. both companies agreed to share the same switch work. Two-way Radio s was fitted to both company's taxis in 1956. In this year the Black And White Co. received 37,762 calls and the Blue And White Co. received 28,718. A privately owned Rolls Royce with a meter was used as a taxi in the late 1930's in Brisbane . Also, a 1926 Daimler Tourer with a meter was still operating in Brisbane at that time, mainly from the Central Station Rank. Black And White Taxi Company The Black and White Cab Company was formed in Brisbane in late 1936 by George Holden , coincidentally not connected to General Motors Holden . The cars he owned he sold to drivers. They were 1936 Oldsmobile s and 1936 Hudson Terraplane s. The depot and Petrol Bowser only was in Turbot Street, Brisbane , beside the B.A. F .S. Dispensary in George Street. After approximately 18 months they moved to Leichhardt Street near the City View Hotel . Servicing there was for greasing and motor repairs only. This depot operated for ten years. A workshop was then set up at the corner of Downing Street and St Pauls Terrace, which was used until 1950 when the depot and garage was established in Barry Parade, Fortitude Valley , Brisbane . The original office and switch room in 1937 was in the Strand Building at the corner of Queen and Albert Streets in Brisbane . This was originally the Strand Theatre in the 1920's and earlier in the silent movie days - I'm just mentioning this in passing. The Manager from 1950 at Barry Parade until 1976 was Harry Aiken . Various types of cars have been operated by the Black And White Co. through the years including 1934 Oldsmobile , 1936 Ford V-8 , 1936 Chevrolet , 1936 Plymouth , 1936 Dodge , and a 1938 Pontiac following through the years with the above types each year, including a 1938 Packard . All these cars were American . In 1949 Holden s and Vanguard s were added to the fleet. Ford Falcon s were added in 1961 as well as Ford Fairlane s, Chrysler Valiant s, and Ramblers. Current makes are mainly Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores . The name of the company is now called B And W Cabs derived from both the Black and White and Blue and White Cab Companies. To reflect on taxi fares in the Mid 1930's, flag-fall was 9 Pence (18 cents), with the same per Mile . An example being, Ascot to the City ( Brisbane ), 4 shillings and three pence (43 cents). Taxi drivers worked up to 100 hours a week for a three pounds per week wage (6 dollars). Many worked 15 hours a night; 5pm to 8am next day or 8am through to 8am the next day and sometimes slept in the cabs. At times they only had one fare (passenger) during the night. and a short run at that World War II changed things a lot once the American Servicemen arrived from December 1941 until the end of 1945. Taxis were hired by the servicemen for local and long trips to the coast and back; thus increasing wages for the drivers as well as tips. Many taxi drivers of course joined the services and left the companies with a shortage of man power. However, the big companies survived. There was a restriction of Petrol to taxis of 60 gallons a month during the war. Gas Producers were even fitted to some taxis and hire cars which entailed putting a large tank on the rear of the car. The gas was produced by Charcoal in the tank. Brisbane Cab Company With the growing demand by the general public for taxis, a new Cab Company was formed in Brisbane and called Brisbane Cabs , beginning operations on Saturday 8 June 1991. This meant that although motorists in the intervening years since the end of World War II had grown to a high proportion, taxis were still required to transport people, in particular, passengers to and from Airport s, sports and amusement locations. and drivers who had consumed Alcohol . The colour scheme of the taxis was all white, with a yellow and green logo on both sides. Brisbane Cabs ceased operation at the end of November 2000. Country Queensland Taxi Companies Taxi Services throughout Queensland are numerous and operate in all main city centres, as far north as Thursday Island . off North Queensland . The largest of the Taxi Companies outside the Brisbane area is Regent Taxis at Southport , on the Gold Coast . The fleet comprises over 170 cabs. Regent Taxis was formed in 1946 by Amos Curry and Tony Corones . Six small taxi fleets running 15 cabs were taken over and in 1970 Yellow Cabs of Coolangatta joined the team. In 1976 Regent Taxis became a shareholding company. The Regent Taxi Company in Brisbane was not connected to this company. Other large Taxi Companies include Standard White Cabs of Hermit Park with over 110 cabs and Black And White Taxis of Cairns with over 100 cabs. Mention must be made of a current taxi driver who has been driving taxis continuously for over 40 years. He is Allan (Walter) Ingram of Mount Morgan in the Rockhampton surrounding district. Allan Ingram is now over 80 years of age and owns the Taxi Service at Mount Morgan. He could possibly be the oldest active taxi driver in Australia still driving cabs every day. He actually first drove taxis prior to World War II in 1939, and has owned a number of various makes of cars over the years. Country, city and town taxi operators maintain appropriate numbers of cabs in their fleets compared with population numbers in the State Capital. Queensland Taxis compare more than favourably with other State Operators in service, vehicle safety, and driver responsibility, setting standards to follow. (Sources: Compiled and Researched by Jack Petersen . Taxi Council of Queensland Inc. ). Germany In Germany , taxis are a light, pale yellow/beige, with a small cylinder-like "TAXI" sign on the roof of the car. Many of the taxis are Mercedes-Benz E-Class , along with many Volkswagen s and Opel s. Taxis are either Sedan s, Station Wagon s, or MPV s. Common station wagon taxis include Opel Astra , Volkswagen Passat , and Mercedes-Benz C-Class . Among the MPV s, Mercedes-Benz B-Class , and Mercedes-Benz V-Class are common. Most taxis are Automatic Transmission , and some have navigation systems on board. Rates are high; the convinience and high quality of public transportation in most German cities eliminates the necessity for German civilians to use taxis. Paris 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 . London Horse-drawn Hackney Carriage s began providing taxi service in the early 17th century. In 1636 , the number of carriages was set at 50--an early example of taxicab regulation. In the same year, the owner of 4 hackney carriages established the first taxi stand in The Strand . In the early 19th century, '' Cabriolet s'' ("cabs" for short) replaced the heavier and more cumbersome hackney carriages. Battery-operated taxis appeared briefly at the end of the 19th century, but modern taxi service took off with the appearance of petrol-powered, metered taxis in the early 1900s . Today, taxi service in London is provided by the famous black cabs (the distinctive FX4 depicted in the photo above) and by quasi-legal minicabs. Only black cabs can pick up flag trips on the street, and both black cabs and minicabs are also radio- or computer-dispatched. Black cabs--also known as hackney carriages, or hackney cabs--are particularly famous on account of the specially constructed vehicles and the extensive training course (" The Knowledge ") required for fully licensed Drivers ; unlike many other cities, the number of taxi drivers is not limited. London's cab drivers are even well-known for having developed an especially big Hippocampus , a region of the Brain where, among other things, information about locations is stored (this is likely the case with many other taxi drivers, as well--not just those of London). (Sources: The History of the Black Taxi ; and others.) United States In the United States , there is a distinction between medallion taxicabs and livery cars. Medallion taxicabs are allowed to pick up street hails, while livery cars are only allowed to take dispatched calls or make prearranged pickups. Taxicabs are more regulated than livery cars, and usually have their rates set by the city. Most U.S. cities only allow a certain number of medallions, which causes them to become a valuable commodity. When a taxi is called to pick up a fare outside of their area, they are operating as a livery car, because the medallion is only good in the town that issued it. An out-of-town taxi may not pick up street hails. Although the medallion usually allows the driver to cruise for fares anywhere in the municipality, taxis tend to cruise areas where they receive the most hails, such as the business districts. Thus they can be very difficult to find in other areas, which must be served by livery cars. A livery car that provides local service looks very much like a taxicab, except it does not have a meter or "taxi" light on the roof. Another type of livery service is the "black car", or sedan limo, which tends to primarily serve business customers. These are usually big, black, American-made luxury cars that usually look identical to private vehicles - they typically do not bear their company name or logo. Stretch limousines, even though they are technically considered livery cars, are typically reserved for hours at a time long in advance, and have little in common with taxicabs. A " Jitney " van is a hybrid between a bus and a livery car. Instead of operating point to point, it will pick up and drop off several passengers along an ad-hoc route. In wrote a play called '' Jitney '', which was published in 1982. Some corporations run a shuttle bus to transport employees to and from different company locations. These are usually regulated as livery cars, and are not allowed to pick up employees except at the shuttle stops. If they picked up an employee after being hailed, they could be fined for operating a gypsy cab. A "gypsy cab" is a car that illegally picks up street hails without a medallion. This could refer to an ordinary passenger car, but it usually refers to a livery car that picks up off the curb. Pejoratively, this is sometimes used to refer to all livery cars, for example in New York City. Often taxi businesses own their own cars, and the drivers are employees of the company. 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 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. New York ]] In ), p. 24-26]; NYC Taxi & Livery Fact Book Definitions ). Washington, D.C. The District Of Columbia operates on a zone system; the fare is based on the zone the cab starts in when the passenger enters, and the zone the cab is in where the passenger exits, for trips which are entirely within the District. Washington is one of the few large cities in the United States to have taxicabs without meters (another being Fredericksburg, Virginia ). Cabs cannot charge for waiting time, and if the trip will not detour more than four blocks in doing so, are permitted to pick up additional passengers while carrying a fare. For trips which terminate outside of the District, ("Interstate fares") the fare is based on mileage (plus special fees such as the taxi surcharge for trips to Ronald Reagan Airport in Arlington, Virginia , or Dulles Airport in Chantilly, Virginia , the two "official" airports of Washington. The zone system was instituted shortly after World War II when meters were first authorized, when a temporary suspension of the meter system was imposed. (This provides evidence of an error in the motion picture " The Other Side Of Midnight " in which the character Kathy is taking a taxicab in Washington, D.C. during the 1930s and states to the driver that if the meter goes over $1.00 she's in trouble, as Washington has never had metered taxicabs.) This ''temporary suspension'' of the introduction of meters has been continued for over 50 years. In October 2005, the District began a pilot project that is intended to test of use of meters in DC cabs. The project involves the use of 24 taxicabs that have been outfitted with standard meters. The driver operates the meter during the course of each trip and at trip's end collects the usual zone fare but records both the zone and meter fare for comparative purposes. After 8 months the comparative cost data will be analyzed by universities participating in the project and a "revenue neutral" rate for the transition from the zones to meters will be determined. The goal of the District's project is to determine what meter rate should be used in the initial stage of the transition. The expectation is that an initial transition meter rate will be established that will allow drivers to raise the same amount of revenue under the new system as they did under the old for the same trips. Thus, policymakers can assure both drivers and passengers that, on a global basis, the transition will not have a significant negative impact from the standpoint of fares charged and income generated. The proposed rate must be approved by the District's Taxicab Commission and the City Council before it can take effect. Many of the taxis are pale yellow or white. Some of the most common taxis in the city include Ford Crown Victoria , Ford Taurus , some Mercury s, and even some Lincoln Town Car models. These cars are roomy but old. Hong Kong ''Main article: Taxis Of 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. 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. Seoul In Seoul , one of the largest cities in the world, taxis are very common everywhere within the city. There are two major types of taxis in Seoul —an "individual" taxi, which is run by just the driver, instead of a company, and a "model" taxi, which is painted black and is bigger (in size) and much more expensive. For "individual" taxis, there is an extra 20% increase in fare after midnight, but this does not apply to the "model" taxis. Most "individual" taxis are silver or white in color. All Seoul 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 "individual" or "model", and has a half-sphere on top of a half-pyramid attached on the roof and labelled "TAXI". Glasgow In Glasgow there are numerous specially decorated taxis that are often covered with advertisements. One of the most abundant advertisements is for the nation's favorite soft drink, Irn-Bru . The taxis are usually in the style of the regular "black cab" type, but are decorated in different colors and patterns. Luton Luton has the highest numbers of taxi cabs per head of Population in the United Kingdom , with companies such as Cabco, Britannia Cars and Five twos competing for trade in the town. See also
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