# Taximeter > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taximeter > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taximeter.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taximeter > Source revision: 1342272520 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Mechanical or electronic device for calculating passenger fares}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2012}} thumb|North American taximeter thumb|Indonesian taximeter thumb|Japanese taximeter thumb|Serbian taximeter A '''taximeter''' or '''fare meter''' is a mechanical or electronic device installed in [taxicab](/source/taxicab)s and [auto rickshaw](/source/auto_rickshaw)s that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time. Its shortened form, "taxi", is also a [metonym](/source/metonym) for the hired cars that use them.{{cite web |title=taximeter |url=http://www.bartleby.com/61/45/T0064500.html |work=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |edition=Fourth |year=2000 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20010712230952/http://www.bartleby.com/61/45/T0064500.html |archive-date=12 July 2001 |via=Bartleby |access-date=22 April 2015}}Fierro, Alfred, ''Histoire et Dictionnaire de Paris'' (1996), Robert Laffont, page 1166, {{ISBN|2-221-07862-4}} ==History== [[File:Abutaxametrar.jpg|thumb|Taximeters manufactured by [ABU](/source/ABU_Garcia) in Sweden. Left to right: Swedish, German, English.]] thumb|Argentine Taximeter "Digitax Printer" in "Libre" (Available) mode The modern taximeter was invented by [German](/source/Germany) [Friedrich Wilhelm Gustav Bruhn](/source/Friedrich_Wilhelm_Gustav_Bruhn) in 1891,{{cite magazine|first=Megan |last=McArdle |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/why-you-can-8217-t-get-a-taxi/8942/# |title=Why You Can't Get a Taxi |magazine=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |date=2012-05-01 |accessdate=2015-10-02}} and the [Daimler Victoria](/source/List_of_Daimler_cars)—the world's first meter-equipped (and gasoline-powered) taxicab—was built by [Gottlieb Daimler](/source/Gottlieb_Daimler) in 1897.{{cite news |last1=English |first1=Bob |title=Classic Cars: All hail the birth of the taxi in 1897 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/reviews/classics/classic-cars-all-hail-the-birth-of-the-taxi-in-1897/article5606867/ |access-date=9 December 2022 |work=[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail) |date=23 November 2012 |location=[Toronto](/source/Toronto) |language=en-CA}} Taximeters were originally mechanical and mounted outside the cab, above the driver's side front wheel. Meters were soon relocated inside the taxi, and in the 1980s electronic meters were introduced. There are some companies that claiming invention of the world's first electronic taximeter including Monitex in Israel.{{Cite web |title=אודות |url=https://www.monitex.com/%D7%90%D7%95%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA |access-date=2026-03-08 |website=מוניטקס |language=he}}{{Cite web |last=מיטלמן |first=בן |date=2013-10-18 |title=הדרך הארוכה של ירדן ג'רבי למדליית זהב |url=https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/local/Article-30a150b9dacc141004.htm |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=N12 |language=he}} == k constant == Constant expressed in pulses per kilometre which represents the number of pulses the taximeter must receive in order to correctly indicate a distance traveled of one kilometre.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=OIML R21|url=https://www.oiml.org/en/files/pdf_r/r021-e07.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}} == Functioning == Taximeters, when they are installed to the taxis, require adjustment of k constant. During the movement, car generates signal which transmitted to the taximeter. Number of signals transmitted per k constant ratio results distance travelled. Within pre-installed tariff values and travel data are multiplied and fare is calculated.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} ==Accessories and features== {{Unsourced section|date=December 2024}} thumb|Mechanical autorickshaw meter in India thumb|Calibrating a taximeter, Seattle circa 1960s Taximeters can include several accessories, or act as components in larger dispatching/control systems. Features include: * Ticket/receipt printer. * Fraud control and prevention (on the part of the owner or operator), through the impression of control tickets or computer monitoring. Additionally, taximeters are often visually sealed by a municipal weights and scales authority after initial calibration. * Radio communication, allowing trip status to be monitored by a dispatcher or supervisor. * Dispatching of trip assignments through radio or data systems. * Interaction with [GPS systems](/source/Global_Positioning_System) to assist with dispatching and to provide security. * Seat sensors that detect the presence of a passenger (to prevent a cab from carrying fares without activating the taximeter). * Credit or prepaid card support. * Bluetooth support for communication with smartphones or tablets. * USB support for setup, diagnostics, and connectivity to the vehicle computer. ==Work cycle== During normal operation, taximeters repeat cyclically through several stages: * '''Free''' (or '''For Hire''' in the [UK](/source/United_Kingdom)): The [taxicab](/source/taxicab) is empty and available for hire. The luminous sign, if present, is switched on. * '''Occupied''' (or '''Hired'''): The taximeter enters in this stage at the start of the trip and the "Free" sign is switched off. In this stage the running fare and the present tariff are displayed. Additional information that can be displayed in this mode includes extras (e.g. credits for luggage), present time, speed, etc. * '''To Pay''' (or '''Stopped''' in the [UK](/source/United_Kingdom)): At the end of the trip, the driver enters this stage to collect payment, make change, and optionally print a receipt. The exterior roof light may also blink to alert potential passengers that the taxi will soon be available. ==See also== * [Taxicab](/source/Taxicab) * [Ohmer fare register](/source/Ohmer_fare_register) * [Mobile data terminal](/source/Mobile_data_terminal) * [Odometer](/source/Odometer) * [Speedometer](/source/Speedometer) * [Tachometer](/source/Tachometer) ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == * {{Commons category inline|Taximeters}} * {{Wiktionary inline}} {{Taxicabs}} {{Authority control}} Category:1891 in Germany Category:1891 in science Category:Automotive technologies Category:German inventions Category:Measuring instruments Category:Taxis --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Taximeter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taximeter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taximeter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.