Commons:Categories for discussion/2024/07/Category:Taxi vehicles

Category:Taxi vehicles

While Taxis has been merged to Taxi service and Taxi vehicles per Commons:Categories for discussion/2019/09/Category:Taxis, it looks like the term "taxi" generally refers to road vehicles. The Wikipedia articles taxi and taxis by country focus on taxi road vehicles, especially automobiles. We have separate categories for non-road taxis (Water taxis and Air taxis), which can be categorized separately from taxi vehicles under Vehicles for hire. Not only that, the category Taxi vehicles should be moved back to Taxis, since the term "taxis" in plural already implies a type of vehicles, this unambiguous. Sbb1413 (he) (talk • contribs) 10:54, 8 July 2024 (UTC)

@Sbb1413: Generally, taxi services (taxi transport) should be distinguished from taxi vehicles, similarly as buses are subcategory of bus transport and trams are a subcategory of tram transport. Taxi services is a broader item and have more aspects than only vehicles: there exist also files related to taxi stands, taxi tickets, taxi drivers, taxi regulations and documents, taxi-related road signs, taxi apps etc.

Taxi automobiles are undoubtedly the prototypical kind of taxi vehicles, which is usually understood under the term "taxi". It is true that other types of taxi service derive their names from that basic type. For "taxi automobiles", "taxis" can be suitable default name. Other types of road taxis (motorcycle taxis, taxi vans, bike taxis as rickshaws etc.) and non-road taxis (taxi boats, taxi aircraft) should remain special subcategories of "taxi vehicles by type".

If the aim is to simplify categorization and avoid duplication, it is not desiderable to add a new category tree Vehicles for hire. Above all, the expression "vehicles for hire" indicates rather Vehicle rental (rental vehicles), while "taxi" is a specific service, where you rent a vehicle with a driver and you buy the driver's service: not only the act of driving itself, but also finding a suitable way to your destination. If some non-automobile services call themselves "taxi", they want to emphasize the specific similarity of their service with a classic car taxi. We have no better term for that. The expression "vehicles for hire" is not so specific, not distinguishing from rental vehicles. It is also specific to a taxi that you usually hire it for one ride, not for a longer period. Shared taxi can also be counted as a form of taxi, although there is no "hire" to speak of here: it is a form of shared public transport. However, the microbuses can be identical as for the classic taxi. Some municipalities also operate so-called "senior taxi" – special social service for senior citizens. They are rather "ordered" than "hired". --ŠJů (talk) 16:12, 8 July 2024 (UTC)