Taxicabs of Australia - Queensland

Queensland

Taxi services throughout Queensland are numerous and operate in all main city centres, as far north as Thursday Island off North Queensland.

Prior to a taxi company being formed in Queensland, owners of taxis simply had signs on the vehicles indicating "For Hire" painted on the side, front and rear. Before 1924, all taxis plied for hire without a means of recording the mileage, other than the driver himself calculating the fare according to how far he drove his passengers. There was a fare scale, however, the driver could charge whatever he thought was nearest to the amount specified. This no doubt, brought about the introduction of meters.

The first taxi company in Queensland was Ascot Taxi Service and was formed in 1919 in Brisbane by two motor mechanics, Edmund William Henry Beckman and Edward Roland Videan.

During the 1920s the Yellow Cab Company imported their taxis from the United States, which were built especially for taxi work by the Yellow Cab Co. in Chicago. This was in 1924; the vehicle was the A2 Brougham (mustard pots) – a sedan with the driver separated from the passengers by a window with the baggage compartment in front beside him. The meter was alongside the window by the drivers side. The taxis were also the first fitted with meters in Australia. The vehicle was known as a Yellow Cab, having been built by the company with that name plate on the front of the radiator. The engines were also built especially for the type and were similar to the Willys Knight. The driver's compartment did not have side windows. The Broughams were taken out of service in 1936.

The Yellow Cab Company has now become the largest cab fleet in Brisbane and introduced the first computerised data dispatch from the control room to taxis. The system was designed to increase efficiency and provide a better and safer service for the public and increase drivers security. The computers have been installed into the fleet of over 580 taxis.

Allan (Walter) Ingram of Mount Morgan in Rockhampton has been driving taxis continuously for over 40 years. Ingram is now over 80 years of age and owns the Taxi Service at Mount Morgan. He could possibly be the oldest active taxi driver in Australia still driving cabs every day. He actually first drove taxis prior to World War II in 1939, and has owned a number of various makes of cars over the years.

The Taxi Council of Queensland is the trade association and its objective is to expand the total market for taxi services.

SsangYong Stavics are also currently being trialed in Queensland as 'maxi cabs'.