Single and Two-seater Taxicabs in Paris.
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The Compagnie des Auto-Taxis Monoplace, of Paris, has just placed a very large contract for the supply of special two-seater cabs, mounted on the 8.3 h.p. Renault chassis, and 10 of the new vehicles have already been delivered. These cabs are to ply at the full rates charged by ordinary Paris taxis.
The Monoplace Taxi Co. has achieved very considerable success with its existing fleet of 200 cabs, but the directors are of the opinion that they can do even better with two seaters plying at full fares. The success of the little Peugeot cabs is stated to have been due to an exceedingly careful selection of drivers, and this one can well believe; for, however well a cyclecar chassis may behave in private use, the strain put upon it by cab work in a great city is an entirely different matter.
The monoplace taxis of Paris are intended solely for business men and workers; they ply on the streets from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. only, whilst on _Sundays and holidays no cabs leave the garage at all. The fares charged are 70 centimes (instead of a franc, as in the case of a full-sized cab) for the first 533 metres, or three minutes of waiting time, and 20 centimes for each further stage of 266 metres or 1i minutes of time. By reason of the quite exceptionally low fuel and tyre consumption of these little machines, a very fair profit can be made in Paris, even with such small charges as those quoted, given very efficient management, and, as already mentioned, a careful selection of drivers with regard to their treatment of the cabs.
When launching their enterprise the Monoplace Taxi Co. anticipated considerable hostility both towards themselves as a company from the big cab concerns of Paris and towards their drivers individually on the part of the drivers of full-fare cabs. These fears have happily not been justified by events, however, and the mono place drivers live on the beat of terms with their brethren of the larger vehicles. Experience tells .one that this is usually the case.
Since the formation of the Mouoplace Co. last year a certain number of privately owned single-seater cabs has appeared on the streets of Paris and one other small company has been formed, owning, at the moment, about half a dozen B28 cabs. All these cabs are mounted on the Peugeot quadrilette cycleear chassis.
With regard to the new two-seater cabs, one cannot help thinking that the Monoplace Co. are justified in their decision to charge full fares, instead of seeking to obtain special sanctions from the Prefecture of Police to run at the low rates of the single-seaters. Paris taxicabs are really wonderfully cheap ; indeed, they are one of the very few necessities of life which still remain at a reasonable figure iu that expensive city.
After all, why should the two-seater cab run at lower rates than the ordinary type? Did the hansom charge less than the growler in the old days?
The future of two-seaters will be watched with interest. They should be popular with the ordinary taxi user from their speed, comfort and attractive appearance, whilst the owners should reap increased profits owing to the lower running costs of the cabs.
In any case they are certain to be patronized, for the Parisian has the taxi habit to an extent which is probably unequalled in any other city in the world. If proof of this be needed, it may be mentioned that between 13,000 and 14,000 cabs are registered in Paris at the present time, against less than 9,000 in London with its vastly greater area and population.
The monoplace cab experiment in Paris would appear to have proved the real usefulness of • these little machines, for one hardly over sees a single-seater cab idle ; but it has also shown that for this work a special type of small chassis should be designed. The present idea of putting a really-excellent little cyclecar-chassis to work for which it was never intended is obviously a makeshift arrangement, and it reflects great credit upon the manufacturers that the chassis in question should have come through the ordeal so well as it has.
In addition to the new two-seater cabs which the Monoplace Co. is putting' on the road (in flat contradiction to its name!) an increase in the single-seater fleet is contemplated with cabs mounted upon a somewhat more robust chassis, which will stand harder treatment from drivers.