Melbourne’s Iconic Yellow Taxis Are Set To Go In A Colourful New Plan

The days of Yellow Taxis dotting the streets of Melbourne are apparently numbered, with taxi operators revealing a bold new plan aimed at better competing with rideshare companies like Uber.

Taxi operator 13CABS has begun an immediate, nationwide roll out of new vehicles that are either black, white, or silver, which brings to an end the colour yellow’s vice-like grip on Melbourne’s taxi market. The new cars will be branded with orange decals and logos, which is designed to make the cars appear slicker and more modern, which company officials hope will allow them to directly compete with Uber.

The yellow cabs became a fixture of Melbourne after then-Premier Jeff Kennett mandated that all taxis be painted the distinctive colour. That ruling was lifted in 2013.

Statistics gathered by the industry indicate a perception amongst customers that silver taxis automatically mean a more expensive ride, and this new initiative hopes to break those perceptions.

Victorian Taxi Association director Peter Valentine lauded the move, but couldn’t do so without blaming literally everyone except the taxi industry for its own problems.

If you’re trying to make the public feel safe and comfortable, and offer a good service, you have to give them uniformity. If you’ve got uniformity, you know what you’re getting.

The poor image of taxis was created by the government’s incessant need to change the industry.

What we’ve landed with now is what we’ve got, and we’ve got to work within that framework.

Cool story, my dude.

13CABS officials state that the rebranding efforts are part of a broader strategy for the company, which includes shifting things to a more customer-focused model (lol), as well as working to improve the health and wellbeing of drivers.

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