Car service - Definition and Overview

A man emerges from car service outside the Staten Island Mall

Car service is a term used in New York City and surrounding areas to refer to a type of vehicle-for-hire transportation. It differs from taxi service in that in New York, the term "taxi" is used exclusively to refer to a service of circulating chauffered vehicles which may be flagged down on the street on demand. By constrast, car service refers to services which are hired only by appointment over the telephone and dispatched by radio to the driver (taxicabs may also be hired in this way). Car service differs from the more upscale limousine services which are usually reserved for special occassions or business purposes.

Car service is especially popular in the parts of New York City, such as Staten Island and parts of Queens and Brooklyn, which do not have circulating taxi service. Car service vehicles do not resemble taxicabs but normal sedans of various colors, usually marked by a company logo on the door. Car service also differs from taxicab service in New York in that whereas taxicab fares are determined by meters, car service fares are determined by distance and are typically told to the driver over the intercom radio. In local terminology, one is said to "take car service" when using hiring such a vehicle.