taxicab, chauffeur-driven automobile available for hire to carry passengers between any two points within a city or its suburbs for a fare determined by a meter or zone system or a flat rate. The taxicab is named after the taximeter, an instrument invented by Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891 that automatically recorded the distance traveled and/or the time consumed, thus enabling the fare to be accurately measured. The term cab derives from the cabriolet, a two-wheeled, one-horse carriage often let out for hire.
The development of modern taxicabs closely parallels that of automobiles. The first motorized taxicabs were electric-powered vehicles that began appearing on the streets of European and American cities in the late 1890s. Internal combustion-powered taxicabs equipped with taximeters first appeared around 1907 and have dominated taxi travel ever since. Most modern taxis are four-door passenger cars that are especially fitted for taxicab service and provided with modifications designed to withstand the more severe service requirements of taxi operation. Such modifications include reinforced auto-body frames, heavier springs and shock absorbers in the suspension system, and more reliable engine charging. In some cities, such as London, taxicab design must meet legally approved specifications.
Taxicab firms may be organized in any of three ways. They may have regular employees who drive cabs owned by the company; they may use lessees, or independent contractors, who lease cabs from a company and pay a regular fee for the use of the vehicle; or they may consist of owner-drivers, who drive vehicles which they themselves own.