The Different Kinds of Taxi Cabs

Taxi service is typically provided by automobiles, but various human powered vehicles, such as the rickshaw, and animal-powered vehicles, such as the Hansom cab, or even boats, like water taxis or gondolas, are also used or have been.

In Western Europe it is not uncommon for expensive cars such as Mercedes-Benz to be the taxicab of choice. Often this decision is based upon the perceived reliability of, and warranty offered with these vehicles. These taxi-service vehicles are often equipped with four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines and low levels of equipment, and are not considered luxury cars. In Spain the most-seen taxicabs are vehicles like Škoda Octavia or SEAT Toledo. In America, people sometimes hire luxury sedans or limos to take them from one location to another.

In Australia, taxicabs are mainly Ford Falcons and less commonly, Holden Commodores. Kia Carnivals are becoming increasingly popular due to the low price of these vehicles. There are premium operators who mainly operate on Ford Fairlanes and Holden Statesmans. Almost all Australian taxicabs run on liquefied petroleum gas. There is also a Chrysler 300C Turbo Diesel Cab in the Victorian Fleet.

In Norway, many taxicabs are Mercedes E-class (usually E-220 CDI) or Volvo V70 Estate. These cars are almost always equipped with diesel engines; automatic transmission, satellite navigation, and high quality trim levels.

In New Zealand, the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon have been the traditional taxicab of choice, but in the last decade a move has been made towards large front wheel drive V6 models such as the Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Camry. At the other end of the scale, used examples of the Mercedes Benz S Class and BMW 5 Series are becoming popular for more up market companies, along with the traditional "Corporate cabs"; the Ford Fairlane and Holden Statesman.

Taxicabs in less developed places can be a completely different experience, such as the ancient French cars typically found in Cairo. However starting March 2006, newer modern taxicabs entered the service operated by various private companies. Taxicabs differ in other ways as well: London's black cabs have a large compartment beside the driver for storing bags, while many fleets of regular taxis also include wheelchair accessible taxicabs among their numbers. Although taxicabs have traditionally been sedans, minivan and even SUV taxicabs are becoming increasingly common. In many cities, limousines operate as well, usually in competition with taxicabs and at higher fares.

In recent years, some companies have been adding specially modified vehicles capable of transporting wheelchair-using passengers to their fleets. Such taxicabs are variously called accessible taxis, wheelchair- or wheelchair-accessible taxicabs, modified taxicabs, and so on.

Wheelchair taxicabs are most often vans or minivans that have undergone special modifications. Wheelchair-using passengers are loaded, with the help of the driver, via a lift or, more commonly, a ramp, at the rear of the vehicle. The wheelchair is secured using various systems, commonly including some type of belt and clip combination, or wheel locks. Most wheelchair taxicabs are capable of transporting only one wheelchair-using passenger at a time, though most can accommodate up to four additional able-bodied passengers.

Wheelchair taxicabs are part of the regular fleet in most cases, and so are not reserved exclusively for the use of wheelchair users. They are often used by able-bodied people who need to transport luggage, small items of furniture, animals, and other items. Because of this, and since only a small percentage of the average fleet is modified, wheelchair users must often wait for significantly longer periods when calling for a cab, and flagging a modified taxicab on the street is much more difficult.