I'm interested in public transport because it's a good way to learn about a foreign country.Public transportation comes in many shapes, colours and forms andcan consist of buses, subways, tramsand light railways, trains, ferries, water taxis, monorailsand more. Itis one of the instantly recognisable elements that when you first arrive in a new countrythat makes you feel "abroad".
I'm going to start with the obvious, the double-decker buses of London and the yellow taxicabs of New York City. As you know this is a free website, so I invite you to join Zee Community and send us some pictures and/or a short article describing your local publictransport.
 Double-decker buses are found inuse throughout the United Kingdom, with the London red double deckers beinga symbolic image of the country. They are between 9.5 and 10.9 metres in length and typically seat between 60 and 80 passengers and are useful as a means of carrying large numbers of passengers without exceeding legal limits on vehicle length.
A particularly iconic example is the Routemaster bus, which had been a staple of the public transport network in London for nearly half a century following its introduction in 1956. However, because of the difficulties accommodating disabled passengers, the last remaining examples werefinally retired in 2005, although Transport for London has established two "heritage routes", which will continue using the Routemaster |
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The Commission is a New York City government agency, within the New York City Department of Transportation with responsibility for more than 13,000 taxis operating within the city. It also oversees over 40,000 other ''for-hire'' vehicles, including "black cars", commuter vans and ambulettes. The yellow cabs, also known as "Medallion taxis", are the only vehicles in the city that are permitted to pick up passengers in response to a street hail. |
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Story sent byZeeMexican (Taxicabs from Mexico City) Modern taxicabs in the country had their origin in 1970, when the government took measures in order to give Mexico City an affordable, cheap and small taxi transport, instead of the big cars used through the 50's and 60's. The Volkswagen Sedán (Beetle type 1) was the car selected to serve as taxicabs. They were coloured with yellow panels and white roofs. During the late 70's, however, other automobiles started to run as taxis, such as the Nissan Tsuru and the Datsun 160J. Sometime in the early 90's, government decided to change taxi and other public transport such as Peseros panel colour to green, in order to give an impression of "ecologic transport". VWs started to be called "taxis ecológicos" (ecological taxis) despite the engine emissions weren't modified at all. Soon, very few yellow taxis were running by the city.
Nowadays, it is still possible to see some of them occasionally. In 2003, government decided to change once more the colours of the taxicabs, and finally, retire the old 2-door VWs and replace them with 4-door saloons or subcompacts, such as the Nissan Platina and the Hyundai Atos. The colour would change to a full white coloured car with a red stripe on both sides of the panels. However, VW Beetles are still very common, at a point that are probably the most popular taxicab in the country. |
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Story sent by DeZee (Taxicabs from Germany)
All German taxis are cream-colored with a black and yellow taxi sign on the roof. In the birthplace of the luxury sedan, it should be no surprise that the bulk of the taxi fleet is comprised of sleek and plush Mercedes and Audis. For larger parties or payloads, you'll find equally comfortable minivans and station wagons.
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The taxicabs of New York City, with their distinctive yellow livery, are a widely recognized icon of the city. Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
