In the early 1900’s John Hertz founded the Yellow Cab, based in Chicago Illinois. Yellow Cab companies came to dominate the nation’s taxi business. The Yellow color was chosen as the result of a survey made by the University of Chicago which indicated it was the easiest color to spot.
Santa Barbara Yellow Cab was established in 1929 and has been owned by Taxi Owners Association, Inc., a California Corporation, since 1999. This corporation was established in 1987, and at that time contracted to be the drivers for Yellow Cab.
Santa Barbara Yellow Cab has always provided taxi and a variety of other services in the Santa Barbara County. Such services include, but are not limited to: courier/messenger/delivery, tours and miscellaneous services as well as passenger transportation because the drivers own the company - they control, regulate and determine the way the company is run.
The dispatchers and management now have the option to be a larger part of the company and be voted in as owners. Although the City has allowed other companies to take the color yellow in the Santa Barbara area, Yellow Cab of Santa Barbara is not affiliated with any other taxi company. This is the original Yellow Cab that has provided service to the Santa Barbara area since 1929.
Hertz's first job was selling newspapers, and eventually he became a reporter for the Chicago Morning News. When the Chicago Record merged with another paper, he lost his job. Then 1904 he found a job selling cars that's when he came up with the idea of creating a cab company with low prices so the common man could afford to ride in them.
Santa Barbara Yellow Cab Serving The Community Since 1929.
