The Evolution of the Taxi

Just by a tap on a few buttons of our smartphones, a Neath Taxi Cab arrives in no time – however, where did this modern day taxi begin?

Let us travel back in time and understand the history behind this very familiar vehicle, and be able to truly appreciate how far we have come.

The idea of taxis began in the 17th century when the first horse-drawn carriages were offered to hire in London in 1605. The first taxi as we know it today came to existence in 1897, when the first gas-powered taxi with a meter was made available.

Harry N. Allen kick-started the introduction of taxis to New York in 1907, importing them from France and making the ingenious decision to paint them yellow for better visibility. Unregulated drivers led to this becoming a legal requirement in 1967. Soon after, General Motors and Ford started their own fleets, while in 1940, the two-way radio enabled more efficient dispatching.

By the 1950s, Checker Taxi had become iconic, and cities began to switch to more eco-friendly electric vehicles. During the subsequent decades, deregulation of the industry was a prominent discussion in countries such as Ireland. The introduction of mobile applications was the next major innovation in the industry, and now speculation around the possibility of self-driving taxis has emerged.