Yellow cab

{{Short description|Style of taxicab}}

{{About|yellow taxicabs|other uses}}

File:New York City taxi cabs.JPG taxi]]

Yellow cab taxicab operators exist all around the world (some with common heritage, some without). The original Yellow Cab Company, based in Chicago, Illinois, was one of the largest taxicab companies in the United States.

History

File:Taksi.jpg, Azerbaijan, that were replaced with violet cabs in 2011]]

Yellow cabs date back to at least 1798, when the musical comedy, Cabriolet Jaune (Yellow Cab), debuted at Paris' Theatre de l'Opera Comique National. Yellow cabs were known in Paris and London throughout most of the 1800s. A yellow cab company shook up the New York Cab system in the mid-1880s, offering cheaper, more predictable fares than competitors. One of the first automobile cabs in London, in the 1890s, was a yellow electric automobile.{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Peter Jensen|title=New York, Paris, London (but not Munich); a Checkered History of Yellow Cabs|url=http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-york-london-paris-but-not-munich.html|website=Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog|date=11 September 2015|access-date=3 February 2016}}

The Yellow Cab Company of Chicago was founded by John D. Hertz in 1907.{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2912.html|title=Yellow Cab Co. (of Chicago)|work=chicagohistory.org}} Their specially designed taxicabs were powered by a 4-cylinder Continental engine equipped with a purpose-built taxicab body supplied by the Racine Body Co., of Racine, Wisconsin. According to Yellow Cab Co. tradition, the color (and name) yellow was selected by John Hertz as the result of a survey he commissioned at a "local university", which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.{{cite book|last1=Forbes|first1=Bertie C.|title=Automotive Giants of America: Men Who Are Making Our Motor Industry|date=1927|publisher=B. C. Forbes|location=New York|page=147}} However, "he was certainly not the first taxicab operator to use that color and the university study to which B. C. Forbes refers has yet to be discovered."{{cite web|last1=Theobald|first1=Mark|title=Yellow Cab Mfg. Co.|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|website=Coachbuilt.com|access-date=3 February 2016}} In 2017, a study showed that the color yellow, for taxis, was more noticeable, resulting in 9% fewer accidents.{{Cite news | first=Doyle | last=Rice | title=If you want a safe taxi ride, yellow could be the way to go | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/03/07/youre-less-likely-get-accident-yellow-taxi-study-finds/98856486/| newspaper=USA Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 4B | date=March 8, 2017 | access-date=March 8, 2017}}

In 1908, Albert Rockwell, founder and General Manager of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. of Bristol, Connecticut, travelled to Europe to evaluate their taxi systems, hoping to develop a similar one in Washington, D.C.The New York Times (June 14, 1908) Ernest Wyckoff, Alfred Church and Clarence Partridge, well-known automobile dealers in New York, had a number of orange-yellow colored Rockwell taxicabs operating on Manhattan streets in 1909.{{cite web|url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/y/yellow_cab/yellow_cab.htm|title=Yellow taxicab...|work=Coachbuilt}} By March 1910, the Connecticut Cab Co. (essentially the directors of New Departure Manufacturing Co.) assumed operating control of Wyckoff, Church and Partridge's taxis.The New York Law Journal (March 10, 1910)

The Yellow Taxicab Co. was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile (roughly equivalent to $12.12 in 2016 adjusted for inflation).As calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics' [http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl CPI Inflation Calculator]; year selected is 1913, the closest year available. Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Co.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} Shortly after incorporation the Yellow Taxicab Co. merged with the Cab and Taxi Co., and with the strength of Connecticut Cab Co. behind them, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and regulations forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Co. on March 3, 1914. Shortly after, an injunction was filed by the company, seeking to restrain the city from enforcing the Public Hack ordinances, but it was rejected on appeal.[https://www.nytimes.com/1915/05/01/archives/taxicab-ordinance-is-finally-upheld-masonseaman-company-loses-its.html The New York Times (May 1, 1915)] By 1916, the company was being held in receivership, due to suits by numerous creditors.[https://books.google.com/books?id=fUo4AAAAIAAJ&dq=mason-seaman+transportation+bankruptcy&pg=PA974 In re Mason-Seaman Trans. Co.], The Federal Reporter, Vol.235

The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company was formed in 1920.

List of cab companies

{{incomplete list|date=March 2015}}

=Australia=

  • The Yellow Cab Group was founded in 1924 and operates in Queensland and Tasmania.
  • Yellow Cabs operate in Melbourne.
  • Yellow and Coastal Cabs are in Perth.

=Canada=

  • The Yellow Cab Company of Vancouver, British Columbia was founded in 1921.{{cite web |url=http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html |title= Main Page|website=www.yellowcabonline.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220151626/http://www.yellowcabonline.com/company_profile.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}
  • Yellow Cab Company of Toronto, Ontario.
  • Yellow Cab of Burlington, Ontario.
  • Yellow Cab of Edmonton, Alberta was purchased and given the Yellow name in 1945.{{cite web |url=http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html |title= Yellow Cab History|website=www.edmontonskyshuttle.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323054906/http://www.edmontonskyshuttle.com/AboutUs.html |archive-date=March 23, 2006}}
  • Yellow Cab of Halifax, was founded in 1962 and is the largest Yellow Cab brand in Atlantic Canada.{{cite web |url=http://www.yellowcabhalifax.ca/ |title=Home |website=yellowcabhalifax.ca}}
  • Yellow Cab of Victoria, British Columbia, formerly Empress Taxi.

=Greece=

  • Taxis in Athens are required to be yellow since 1987.{{Cite web |last=|title=Πότε και γιατί έγιναν κίτρινα τα ταξί στην Αθήνα; Τι χρώμα ήταν πριν; |url=https://www.sportime.gr/extratime/pote-ke-giati-eginan-kitrina-ta-taxi-stin-athina-ti-chroma-itan-prin/|access-date=2025-04-22 |website=sportime.gr |language=greek}}

File:KolkataTaxi.JPG]]

=Hungary=

  • Taxis in Budapest are required to be yellow since 2013.{{Cite web |last=Szabolcs Dull |title=Jönnek a sárga, légkondicionált taxik Budapestre |url=https://www.origo.hu/itthon/20130409-elfogadta-a-fovarosi-kozgyules-a-taxisrendeletet.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Origo.hu |language=hu}}

=India=

=Singapore=

=Spain=

  • Taxis in Barcelona are yellow and black since 1929. This is a major exception to the rule of taxi colouring in Spain, with taxis of most cities being white.[https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/automocion/por-que-taxis-amarillos-y-negros-barcelona-6193896 Why are taxicabs yellow and black in Barcelona?] Sport (Spanish newspaper)

=United Kingdom=

  • Big Yellow Taxi Co. based in northeast Fife, Scotland. [https://www.bigyellowtaxi.co Big Yellow Taxi Co]

=United States=

  • The Yellow Cab Company of Baltimore, Maryland, was founded in 1909.{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |title= Connex / Yellow Transportation History|date=2004-07-06 |access-date=2011-09-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041210170642/http://www.yellowtransportation.com/YTMain/history.html |archive-date=December 10, 2004 }} It is currently owned by Transdev.{{cite web |url=http://www.transdevna.com/On-Demand/Taxi.aspx |title=100 Years |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429211554/http://www.transdevna.com/On-Demand/Taxi.aspx |archive-date=2017-04-29 }} (U.S.)
  • Yellow Checker Cab of Peoria, Illinois, was founded in 1922 and is the largest taxi fleet in downstate Illinois.{{cite web|url=http://www.peoria-taxi.com |title=Peoria Transportation Systems |publisher=Peoria-taxi.com |access-date=2011-09-21}} (U.S.)
  • Yellow Cab Co. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was founded in 1918. It ultimately became Yellow Corporation, a major U.S. truck operator.{{cite web|url=http://www.myyellow.com/dynamic/services/content*/aboutyellow/brandyellow/history.jsp?PARENT=yfscjbrandyellow |title=Welcome to YRC! |publisher=Myyellow.com |access-date=2011-09-21}} (U.S.)
  • The Yellow Cab Cooperative of San Francisco, California, was founded on November 8, 1977, succeeding a failed private company.{{cite web|url=http://yellowcabsf.com/index.php/about/our-history |title=Our History |publisher=Yellowcabsf.com |date=1977-11-08 |access-date=2011-09-21}} (U.S.)
  • Yellow Cab of San Diego, California, has been in continuous operation since the 1920s.{{cite web|url=http://sandiego.driveu.com/ |title=San Diego Yellow Cab |publisher=sandiego.driveu.com |access-date=2011-09-21}} Yellow Cab of San Diego has since sold all of its vehicles; the company operates now as a radio system only.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} (U.S.)
  • California Yellow Cab, serving Orange County, California, has been in operation for over 60 years. It is owned by Keolis.{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowcab.com/|title=Yellow Cab - 714 999-9999 - Taxi cabs serving Orange County}}{{cite web|url=http://www.keolisnorthamerica.com/post-services/transit-bus/|title=Taxi - KeolisNorthAmerica.com}} (U.S.)
  • Yellow Cab of Arizona, founded in 1967, serving the entire state of Arizona.{{cite web|url=https://yellowcabaz.com/|title=Yellow Cab AZ|access-date=2018-01-30}} (U.S.)
  • Yellow Cab Co of Bay Area{{cite web|url=http://www.order1taxi.com |title=Home - Yellow Cab Co |publisher=Order1taxi.com |access-date=2011-09-21}} (U.S.)
  • Peter Pan Bus Lines was founded as Yellow Cab Air Line in Springfield, Massachusetts, which was purchased in 1933 by Peter Carmen Picknelly (1891-1964) (U.S.)
  • Louisville Transportation Company of Louisville, Kentucky, operates as Yellow Cab as well as Checker Cab and Cardinal Cab. Yellow Cab of Louisville has been in continuous operation since 1893, when it was founded as Louisville Carriage Company.[http://www.yellowcablouisville.com/ Yellow Cab of Louisville] (U.S.)
  • Yellow Cab of Buffalo, New York is part of Liberty Cab.
  • Los Angeles Yellow Cab{{Cite news|url=http://rideyellow.com/cities/los-angeles-area/taxi-los-angeles/|title=Los Angeles Taxi, Taxi Cab Services In Los Angeles by RideYellow|access-date=2017-05-11|language=en-US}}

See also

References

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