Paris taxis: things you didn’t know

So you think you know all there is to know about Paris taxis because they go hand in hand with life in the French capital? You are already familiar with these cars that come in different models yet all have a sign on the top and a counter that doesn’t stop going up every couple of seconds. Coming back from abroad, from the airport to the hotel in the centre of town, or after a party where a bit too much was drunk… it true that those who are familiar with the city have all had a taxi in Paris come to the rescue once or twice. But what are the secrets of these enigmatic vehicles? We will discover below there are one or two things you probably didn’t know about taxis in Paris.

Taking a taxi in Paris: an experience hiding multiple secrets

To start with the official profession of taxi driver is not as old as we might imagine. The Parisian taxis had to wait until 1936 before becoming recognised as operating under an official status of a regulated profession. This date is symbolic for the Paris taxi drivers because it symbolises a real advance in their rights as workers in this historic trade. Today there are three distinguished types of status to operate under as a taxi driver in Paris: artisan, employee or rental operator. At one point in time more than a half of taxis on the road were operated under the artisan status and the drivers worked on average 11 hours per day. In those days the number of taxis in Paris was estimated to be around 14,000 and these days that number has grown to 20,000. However it is often said that there are not enough taxis to go around, that is to say the demand for taxi journeys in Paris is greater than the supply. Yet, and this may come as some surprise, we live in a country where there are more taxis than in New York.

The price of taxis i Paris: rates often disputable

The price of a taxi in Paris can be a little difficult to understand, which can lead to disputes… as a matter of fact it is rare to find somebody who actually understands how the taxi fares in Paris work! In the simplest of terms taking a taxi is a luxury for the common person, especially if you want to get from the outskirts into the centre. Also for those living in highly populated areas where the demand is higher, taking a taxi is best reserved for those who reserve. But back to the taxi prices in Paris, there are three different price bands in Paris that depend on the time of day as well as other conditions such as localisation, notably for Paris airport transfers. The price band A is applied between Monday and Sunday 10am until 5pm in the urban zone, the price band B is applied between 5pm and midnight, and the price band C is applicable during the night as well as on bank holidays and Sundays. So as you may well have guessed the price band C is the most expensive.

Paris taxi drivers: a profession with its particularities

To finish off the article we will look at the profession of taxi drivers and notice that as a job it sits a little outside the norm. The Paris taxis have a particularity that you may or may not have noticed: the occupation is a man’s world! Without wanting to annoy an feminists reading this, it is no matter of opinion, the numbers show that in Paris 93% of taxi drivers are male. As a comparison there are more male midwives in France than female taxi drivers.

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