Wanted: Taxi of the Future

If you’ve ever spent time in New York City, you know that taxi cabs are an omnipresent and critical part of the city’s transportation system. With more than 13,000 cabs cruising the city, this is an auto market unto itself, and one that has been dominated by Ford’s Crown Victoria for many years. But changes are on the way, and New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is now looking for a more fuel-efficient fleet to serve the city’s streets, and soliciting input from interested car makers.

Last year, NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg announced that the entire taxi fleet would become hybridized by 2012, and the taxi officials are reportedly looking at the Ford Escape hybrids and the Toyota Prius. Both of these would need to be made larger, with bigger trunks for luggage. Of course, another manufacturer could step up and design a new taxi from scratch, but it would have to be reasonably priced, fuel efficient, and accessible for passengers with disabilities. The guidelines on the TLC website lay out some of the other design goals for the taxi of the future:

• Meets highest safety standards
• Superior passenger experience
• Superior driver comfort and amenities
• Appropriate purchase price and ongoing maintenance and repair costs
• Smaller environmental footprint (lower emissions and improved fuel economy)
• Smaller physical footprint (with more usable interior room)
• Compliance with appropriate Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
• Iconic design that will identify the new taxi with New York City

Now, if New Yorkers weren’t such go-go-go types, the city could just fill the streets with bike taxis, which are prevalent in other countries, and even in mid-sized U.S. cities like Austin, Texas. With all those bike messengers losing their jobs now that companies are using PDFs for contracts, the city could kill two birds with one stone. Just a thought, Mr. Bloomberg.