The History of the Taxi

Even before motorized transport some bright spark came up with the idea of charging people to ferry them around. The taxi was born. The first taxis appeared in the 17th century in London and Paris. It's strange to think that on a night out in Paris in 1640 you would still be able to get a taxi ride home. It was in that year that the first documented service was started by a Nicholas Sauvage.

One of the main features of a licensed taxi is that it can be hailed and picked up from the street. This is a feature that does not extend to unlicensed taxis who must be booked prior to the trip. Another feature of a licensed cab is that it has to have a meter to record the cost of the passengers trip. Although different forms of public transport have become available the taxi is still the number one choice for short trips. Mainly due to its flexibility and relative cheapness for groups of people.

Around the world taxis have differentiated themselves from other forms of transport in order to attract more business easier. In New York they are distinctly yellow making it easy as possible to spot one. Not that it's much of a problem in New York with its 10,000 taxis actually causing most of the traffic jams.

Through out London and the UK they have the distinctive hackney taxi look. The london black cab is so famous a site that it is also exported to other countries as a bit of a novelty.

The hackney carriage company was responsible for providing the name of the hackney cab. Much like the vacuum cleaner is synonymous with the hoover brand so is the black cab to Hackney. To become a licensed black cab driver a person will need to pass a rigorous exam called the Knowledge. This involves quizzing the driver on all aspects of their city to ensure that they are well versed in the citys streets. The whole process can take up to four years to complete.