Data finds white is the world’s favourite taxi colour

·       White taxis are most common global taxi colour, followed by yellow, and black.

·       Yellow is the world’s favourite single taxi colour, prized for its safety

·       Morocco and Thailand have the most diverse taxi colour schemes

·       Popular visitor destination, Greece, has one of the most confusing taxi colour schemes for British travellers

White taxis feature as the standard colour in 73 per cent of the countries analysed, closely followed by yellow (53.3 per cent) and black (48.3 per cent). These three taxi colours are most common in Europe and Asia.

Most common taxi colours around the world:

Purple (3.3 per cent), pink (5 per cent) and tan/beige (8.3 per cent) are the least common taxi colours, although they are most frequently spotted in North American and Southeast Asian countries. 

Generally, the further south you travel in Asia (such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam) and North America (Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic), the more chance you have of hailing a fluorescent cab. If we are to follow the geography, more exotic climates have the boldest taxi colour schemes.

Unlike other exotic countries in the analysis, however, the data finds the most common taxi colours in Africa are all pale and bright. White, yellow, and silver are the preferred trio in this equatorial continent, three colours that better reflect the sun, keeping cabs cooler.

Morocco and Thailand have the most diverse taxi colour schemes of all the UK’s favourite destinations with nine different national taxi colours apiece.

Frequently visited European destinations such as France, Spain, Germany and Turkey follow very standard colour conventions (black, white, beige, and grey are the single national taxi colour across the countries, respectively).

However, other popular European destinations like Greece and Croatia have more of a patchwork of colours which can make finding a standard cab more difficult to spot in these locations.

A Taxi Centre spokesperson commented:

“For many, it has been a long while since we Brits ventured overseas, leaving the car at home and instead opting for the humble taxi as our primary mode of transport.

“But with so much time having passed, it’s no wonder people are reporting travel anxiety and not feeling 100% confident when they finally start to consider leaving home soil. 

“Knowing what to expect is always our number one recommendation before travelling. For instance, our research helpfully points that, while some countries make it easier to feel safe abroad with their standardised taxi colour conventions, others are a little more hodgepodge. 

“As such, it’s important that any nervous traveller takes the time to gather vital information, like a country’s taxi colours, before hopping on a plane this year.”

Taxi travel abroad: The Taxi Centre’s top tips

 1.     Be vigilant

–        Always look out for cabs that have a metre, a radio and a badge on display (this should indicate that the driver has a taxi licence).

2.     Try to book taxis in advance from reputable firms

–        Your hotel should usually manage this for you if you’re going to and from your accommodation. If you have no other option but to hail a cab (perhaps you’re in an area with no phone service) then always check the advice above (metre, radio, and badge) before getting inside the taxi to be safe.

3.     Research local taxi fares before travelling

–        To double down on your efforts, agree upon a price before getting in the cab. In some countries, you will find pre-paid taxi stands at the airport to help first-time tourists avoid paying over the odds for cab fares.

-ENDS- 

Notes to editors 

The Taxi Centre identified the most popular holiday destinations for Brits using Finder and TUI. As such, not all countries in each continent have been picked for our research; the data is only representative of the most visited travel destinations by Brits.

Most common taxi colours are sourced from Wikipedia and respective tourist sites. Only national livery is included in the analysis, and no private hire vehicle colours have been noted in the data.

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About The Taxi Centre 

The Taxi Centre have been supplying cars to the taxi and private hire industry since 2001. Over the years, they have introduced many cars which have become synonymous with the trade such as the SEAT Toledo, Skoda Octavia, Skoda Superb and Citroen Berlingo.

They have hundreds of vehicles held in stock over 100+ Taxi Centre dealerships, and most cars can be delivered within a week anywhere on the UK mainland free of charge. Alternatively, taxi drivers can visit their head office at Glasgow Airport to collect their car in person.