Yellow cab, a historical color for taxicabs in New York and all around the world

From Sex and the city to Taxi driver, yellow cab is an iconic trademark of the Big Apple. With its unique color, taxis in New York stand out of other cars which makes it easier to hail a taxi cab in the streets. In 1908, Harry N. Allen imported gasoline powered cars from France and created the today’s New York taxicab company however the fleet was red and green. However John Hertz, a Chicago businessman, launched in 1915 yellow cab company in his hometown and other major cities.

Colorful taxis makes it accessible to find a taxi near me

Yellow, according to a mythic survey made in 1907 that John Hertz commissioned the University of Chicago, it has shown that this hue is easiest to spot for afar. He therefore opted for the color and launched a yellow cab service. According to officials at the university, they do not have the record of the study and believe it is an urban legend. Color researchers today still agree that yellow is one of the most eye-catching shade, however some believe chartreuse, a color between green and yellow, is easier to detect. Later the businessman founded the famous eponym car rental service Hertz and used the same hue for its logo. It is still very popular to this day.
Often forgotten Albert Rockwell operated a fleet of yellow cabs before Hertz in various United States cities. Unlike John Hertz, who had chosen yellow for scientific reason, Albert Rockwell used yellow as his wife preferred color to please her.
By painting their fleet in a specific yellow (Dupont M6286) the taxicab companies fleets are therefore more noticeable in the streets of New York. A yellow cab attracts attention of potential customers and will therefore be more profitable. This explain why this hue is popular worldwide for taxis.

Yellow cab, a recognizable color for license taxis

Since 1967, a ruling ordered that a license New York taxi should be painted in yellow and have standardized visual. This allows assures customers that they are in a license taxi and they will pay a regulated taxi fare. Cars in other colors are therefore either unlicensed taxicabs or an alternative taxi service. For the safety of the travelers, the 1937 Haas act installed a medallion system to regulate the cabs in New York, however the act did not specify that the taxi had to be a specific shade. As cabs were being regulated, they homogenized the color. Today, the yellow cab is a symbol of New York city. We all remember the iconic image of Time square in black and white with only the yellow taxis in color.

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