Brief historical notes on taxis: the history of taxis in Spain

The history of taxis in Spain follows the same path as in the rest of Europe, with an accent of its own. In the 19th century Spanish cities had coches de punto, horse-drawn carriages for hire subject to municipal rules. At the start of the 20th century came the autotaxis, motor cars with a meter, first in the big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. During that century each city settled on its own look, the service was organised around the municipal licence and national rules were passed; today regulation is shared between the State, the autonomous regions and the city councils.

These notes complement our overview of the history of taxis around the world. They are in rough order, from the oldest to the present day.

1. The horse-drawn cab, found in every city

Every provincial capital had its carriages for hire waiting in the squares and next to the railway stations. City councils set ranks, fares and the coachman's obligations with their own regulations, which varied from one city to another. That tradition of municipal regulation is the direct origin of today's taxi by-laws.

2. Each city, its own name

In Madrid the carriages for hire were known as simones and manuelas; in other cities they had different names or were simply called coches de plaza or de punto. This local variety of names was lost with the arrival of the motor car and the common word: taxi.

3. The word autotaxi

The first motorised cars for hire were advertised as autotaxis or motor cars with a taximeter. The word still appears in the Spanish dictionary as a synonym for taxi, although on the street it was shortened very early on.

4. The big cities first

Autotaxis appeared in the first decades of the 20th century in the largest cities and spread to the rest as cars became cheaper. For years, in many provincial capitals, they shared the streets with horse-drawn carriages. For the Madrid story, see the history of the taxi in Madrid.

5. Colours that identify a city

Each city council decides how its taxis look. That is why taxis in Barcelona are black and yellow, Madrid's are white with a diagonal red stripe and the city coat of arms, and in many other cities white taxis with their own markings predominate. That common look lets you recognise an authorised taxi at a glance.

6. The trade becomes professional

With the spread of taxis in the second half of the century, the licence as a limited permit, the driver's municipal permit and professional associations became established. Radio taxi dispatch services, in the last decades of the century, changed the way people ordered a taxi.

7. A national regulation

At the end of the 1970s a national regulation for taxi services was approved, and for a long time it served as a common framework. We explain it in the national taxi regulation. With the development of the autonomous regions, much of the regulation passed into regional and municipal hands.

8. From the BTP to the municipal permit

For years, driving a taxi required a specific driving permit, the BTP, as well as municipal accreditation. That requirement disappeared, and today what matters is an ordinary driving licence together with the municipal taxi driver's permit; we explain the change in the end of the BTP permit.

9. Fares approved by the authorities

Urban taxi fares are not decided by each driver: they are approved by the relevant authority, and the meter must be verified and sealed. In some cities they have been joined by fixed prices for specific journeys, such as those to the airport.

In the 21st century the Spanish taxi shares the streets with new chauffeur-driven transport services and has responded with more technology: card payment, digital booking and hybrid and electric fleets. It is still a regulated public service, with a licence, an accredited driver and official fares.

In Madrid, the taxi also connects the capital with the surrounding towns. Our service reaches the airport from the city and from the towns of the Madrid region, at a fixed fare by zone: €33 from inside the M-30 and the rest on the fares page.