Research carried out by The Taxi Centre has found out that white is the most common taxi colour in the world.
White was closely followed by yellow and black as the most-used cab colour in various leading holiday destinations. Yellow was found to be the world’s favourite single cab colour due to the safety that it offers, with Morocco and Thailand boasting the most diverse colour schemes. Greece was identified as having the most confusing colour schemes for UK holidaymakers.
White was the standard colour in 73% of the countries assessed during the research, with yellow being a standard colour in 53.3% of countries and black in 48.3%. These three colours were most commonly found in Asia and Europe. The data found that yellow was the most popular when there was just a single national taxi colour. This colour is widely agreed to be the safest in accident prevention terms.
Most common taxi colours around the world:
| Colour | Total countries | Percentage |
| White | 44 | 73.3% |
| Yellow | 32 | 53.3% |
| Black | 29 | 48.3% |
| Silver | 20 | 33.3% |
| Green | 17 | 28.3% |
| Blue | 12 | 20% |
| Red | 12 | 20% |
| Orange | 7 | 11.7% |
| Tan/Beige | 5 | 8.3% |
| Pink | 3 | 5% |
| Purple | 2 | 3.3% |
The least common taxi colours were purple (3.3%), pink (5%) and tan/beige (8.3%). These colours were most commonly seen in countries located in North America and South-East Asia. Exotic climates tended to have the most colourful taxis. In Asia and North America, fluorescent cabs were more likely to be seen the further south one might travel.
The research found the most common cab colours in Africa were all pale and bright. Silver, yellow and white were used in this continent as they were highly effective in reflecting the sun and therefore keeping cabs cooler. Of all Britain’s favourite destinations, Thailand and Morocco have the most diverse colour schemes, offering as many as nine different colours.
France (black), Spain (white), Germany (beige) and Turkey (grey) were found to have incredibly standard colours, but destinations including Croatia and Greece had a range of colours, which can cause issues for UK travellers seeking to identify cabs in these countries. Confusion around taxis is said to be one of many reasons so many travellers are postponing their post-lockdown trips overseas. This confusion has frequently been linked to the travel anxiety so many Brits have been experiencing recently. Some countries may help travellers feel safe by using standard cab colour conventions, but other territories are still leaving tourists confused due to using a host of colour schemes.
A Taxi Centre spokesperson said: “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 out 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.”
The Taxi Centre has published a number of tips for travellers using taxi services abroad.
Remain vigilant
Travellers are advised to only use cabs with metres, radios and a badge that indicates the driver is licenced.
Book in advance with trusted firms
Your hotel may book cabs on your behalf when you are travelling to and from your accommodation. If you need to hail a cab, you should follow the advice above to keep yourself safe.
Research typical local fares before you travel
By finding out what the going rates for your journey are, you can avoid paying more than you need to. Agree on the price before the journey begins. Some airports have pre-paid taxi stands that can help you avoid paying over the odds.
For further insights about The Taxi Centre’s research, visit the Taxi Centre blog.
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.
For further press information, please contact:
Carly Trigg
carly.trigg@mediacom.com
About The Taxi Centre
The Taxi Centre has 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.