Hackney carriage

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See main article: Taxicab

In the United Kingdom, the name hackney carriage refers to a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office in London (for the area within the M25 motorway) or by the local authority (non-metropolitan district councils or unitary authorities) in other parts of England, Wales, and Scotland, or by the Department of the Environment (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.

A London LTI Fairway Black taxi.

1 History
2 Etymology
3 Black cabs
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The first 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. Note the distinction between a generic hackney carriage and a hackney coach, a hireable vehicle with specifically four wheels, two horses and six seats.

Electric hackney 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 hackney carriage ceased service in London in 1947. Horse-drawn hackney services in some other parts of the country continue to operate, for example in Cockington, Torquay.

Illuminated ‘for hire’ signage is a distinguishing feature of the hackney carriage

Today the regulations define a hackney 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.

At the beginning of 2004, the UK Government had started consulting local councils and taxi operators on abolishing the distinction between the two types of taxicabs, with a view to issuing only hackney licences.

[edit] Etymology

The name hackney derives not from the borough of Hackney in London, but from the French word haquenée (an ambling horse or hack) referring to the horses which pulled the original carriages. The word hackney came subsequently to denote "for hire".

The New York terms "hackstand" (taxi stand) and "hack license" (taxi license) likely derive from "hackney carriage".

[edit] Black cabs

Motorised hackney cabs, traditionally all black in colour, 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 being the 50 gold cabs produced for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.^[1]

In most of the United Kingdom hackney-carriage operators use conventional four-door saloon cars, but London, and several other large cities, use specially-designed hackney carriages manufactured by just one company — LTI. These vehicles normally allow up to five passengers in the back, but some cars 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). (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.")

Some proposals are existing to use "people carrier"-type vehicles as hackney carriages.

In London, hackney-carriage drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate they have an intimate knowledge of London streets. There are currently around 20,000 black cabs in London, licensed by the Public Carriage Office.^[2]

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