The history of taxis is something you may not think about as
you're trying to hail one on a busy workday. However, this mode of
transportation actually has an interesting background that stretches
back as far as the late 19th century.
The Early Years
It didn't take long for a lot of people who owned automobiles in the late 1800s to start hiring them out. Even though the first taxis were odd-looking contraptions that had batteries weighing as much as 800 pounds, there were almost 100 of them in New York City by 1899. They did a great deal of business competing with horse-drawn carriages, since many people found them not only faster, but also quieter and a great deal cleaner. The first gas-powered cabs arrived in New York in 1907, but, surprisingly, they were imported from France and not built in the U.S. The 1920s saw an explosion in the taxis, as thousands of them were in use every day
This burgeoning industry needed regulation, and the Mayor of New York, Fiorello H. La Guardia, obliged by signing the Hass Act of 1937. The act forced cab companies to obtain licenses and also introduced the medallion system, which is still in use today. These are the small metal plates you'll see on top of the vehicle that certifies it is legally allowed to pick up passengers. The system helped the government keep track of not just the number of taxis, but the quality of them as well.
A Resilient Form of Transportation
Even though they faced serious competition from buses, subways and trains, taxis in New York remained a staple for millions of people. Approximately 12,000 of them were in service by 1950. While you may think that cabs have always been yellow, it actually wasn't until the 1960s that they were required to be painted that iconic color. This not only helped cut down on drivers working without licenses, it helped cabs become indelible parts of New York's culture.
Today, the cab industry is as robust as it has ever been. There are about 40,000 drivers in New York City alone, and millions of others throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. Cabs have not just been the focus of sitcoms, they've also spurred countless news stories, advertising campaigns, and anecdotes. They've also changed in appearance; while there are still many sedans in service, they also come in SUVs and even mini-vans. An estimated 200 million passengers travel about 800 million miles a year, and pay fares totaling about $1 billion a year in New York alone.
While just about everything else in this world changes, hailing a cab remains as popular today as it was more than 100 years ago.
The Early Years
It didn't take long for a lot of people who owned automobiles in the late 1800s to start hiring them out. Even though the first taxis were odd-looking contraptions that had batteries weighing as much as 800 pounds, there were almost 100 of them in New York City by 1899. They did a great deal of business competing with horse-drawn carriages, since many people found them not only faster, but also quieter and a great deal cleaner. The first gas-powered cabs arrived in New York in 1907, but, surprisingly, they were imported from France and not built in the U.S. The 1920s saw an explosion in the taxis, as thousands of them were in use every day
This burgeoning industry needed regulation, and the Mayor of New York, Fiorello H. La Guardia, obliged by signing the Hass Act of 1937. The act forced cab companies to obtain licenses and also introduced the medallion system, which is still in use today. These are the small metal plates you'll see on top of the vehicle that certifies it is legally allowed to pick up passengers. The system helped the government keep track of not just the number of taxis, but the quality of them as well.
A Resilient Form of Transportation
Even though they faced serious competition from buses, subways and trains, taxis in New York remained a staple for millions of people. Approximately 12,000 of them were in service by 1950. While you may think that cabs have always been yellow, it actually wasn't until the 1960s that they were required to be painted that iconic color. This not only helped cut down on drivers working without licenses, it helped cabs become indelible parts of New York's culture.
Today, the cab industry is as robust as it has ever been. There are about 40,000 drivers in New York City alone, and millions of others throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. Cabs have not just been the focus of sitcoms, they've also spurred countless news stories, advertising campaigns, and anecdotes. They've also changed in appearance; while there are still many sedans in service, they also come in SUVs and even mini-vans. An estimated 200 million passengers travel about 800 million miles a year, and pay fares totaling about $1 billion a year in New York alone.
While just about everything else in this world changes, hailing a cab remains as popular today as it was more than 100 years ago.
