London Taxi

A London Taxi or London Taxi carriage (also called a cab or hack) is a carriage or automobile kept for hire. A livery carriage superior to the London Taxi was called a remise. In the United Kingdom, the name London Taxi carriage refers to a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office in Greater London or by the local authority (non-metropolitan district councils or unitary authorities) in other parts of Great Britain, or by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland.

The word is still the official term used by city authorities to refer to taxicabs in certain parts of the United States, such as Boston.
History

"An Ordinance for the Regulation of London Taxi -Coachmen in London and the places adjacent" was approved by Parliament in 1654, to remedy what it described as the "many Inconveniences [that] do daily arise by reason of the late increase and great irregularity of London Taxi Coaches and London Taxi Coachmen in London, Westminster and the places thereabouts". The first London Taxi or Hackney -carriages licenses date from 1662, and applied literally to horse-drawn carriages, later modernized as hansom cabs (1834), that operated as vehicles for hire. There was a distinction between a generic London Taxi carriage and a London Taxi coach, a hireable vehicle with specifically four wheels, two horses and six seats, and driven by a jarvey (also spelled jarvie).

Electric London Taxi carriages appeared before the introduction of the internal combustion engine to vehicles for hire in 1901. During the 20th century, cars generally replaced horse-drawn models, and the last horse-drawn London Taxi carriage ceased service in London in 1947. Horse-drawn London Taxi services in some other parts of the country continue to operate, for example in Cockington, Torquay. A small, usually two-wheeled, one-horse London Taxi vehicle called a noddy once plied the roads in Ireland and Scotland. The French had a small London Taxi coach called a fiacre.

Regulations define a London Taxi carriage as a taxicab allowed to ply the streets looking for passengers to pick up, as opposed to private hire vehicles (sometimes called minicabs), which may only pick up passengers who have previously booked or who visit the taxi operator's office.

Several United States taxicab companies have purchased London Taxi carriages for use on US streets.

Etymology

The name ' London Taxi ' is the Anglicized derivative of "haquenée". In French, this is a horse of medium size used for ladies to ride on.

The first documented appearance of the ' London Taxi Coach' - the forerunner of the more generic ' London Taxi Carriage' - was in London in 1621.

The New York terms "hack" (taxi or taxi driver), "hackstand" (taxi stand), and "hack license" (taxi license) are probably derived from " London Taxi carriage".

Black cabs
Illuminated ‘for hire’ signage is a distinguishing feature of the London Taxi carriage
Illuminated ‘for hire’ signage is a distinguishing feature of the London Taxi carriage
A TX4 London Taxi Carriage at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
A TX4 London Taxi Carriage at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

Motorised London Taxi cabs, traditionally all black, have the popular name of black cabs, although other colours also appear, most frequently when advertising campaigns call for the respraying of large groups of cabs in vivid brand liveries. A notable example was the 50 golden cabs produced for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002

Most London Taxi -carriage operators in the United Kingdom use conventional four-door saloon cars, but in London and several other large cities, specially-designed London Taxi carriages, manufactured by just one company, LTI, are used. These vehicles normally allow up to five passengers in the back, but some are rebuilt and licensed to carry six. Luggage usually goes in the passenger compartment or travels in the front next to the driver — these vehicles have no front passenger-seat. A door has replaced the original open side. All models can also accommodate wheelchairs in the back. Black cabs have a turning circle of only 25 feet (7.6 m). (Oil millionaire Nubar Gulbenkian was said to have bought himself a London taxi because he had been told "it can turn on a sixpence — whatever that is.")

Other celebrities are known to use London Taxi carriages both for their anonymity, and their ruggedness/manoeuvrability in London traffic. Examples include Prince Philip, whose cab has been converted to run on Liquefied petroleum gas according to the British royal website, and Stephen Fry.

Black cabs have recently served as recording studios for indie band performances and other performances in the Black Cab Sessions internet project.

In London, London Taxi -carriage drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate they have an intimate knowledge of London streets. There are currently around 21,000 black cabs in London, licensed by the Public Carriage Office

Since 2003 it has been possible to purchase the London Taxi model TXII in the United States. Today there are approximately 250 TXIIs in the U.S.operating as taxis in San Francisco, Dallas, Long Beach, Houston, New Orleans and Las Vegas.

There have been different makes and types of London Taxi cabs through the years including:

* Beardmore Marks I to VII
* Austin FX3
* Austin/Carbodies/LTI FX4 and Fairway
* MCW/Reliant/Hooper Metrocab
* LTI TX1, TXII and TX4
* Peugeot E7
* Ford Journey