A sedan service is a transportation service that offers taxi-like rides in vehicles. Sedan services exist in many places, though the exact definition, along with regulations, may vary in different places. In some places, the term refers to a more luxurious service than

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

s, while in other areas, it is a cheaper alternative. In most places, the ride must be prearranged, and a sedan driver is not legally permitted to pick up a hailing passenger like a taxicab. Also, most sedan services do not use meters like taxicabs, but rather charge by the mile, following the

odometer An odometer or odograph is an instrument used for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical). The noun derives from ancient Gr ...

. Where sedan services are cheaper, many such providers use older vehicles, and do not have the same level of protection as taxicabs, which has raised concerns in some places for both the drivers and passengers. Some cities that have shortages of taxicabs encourage the use of sedan services to supplement the number of cabs on the streets.

Definitions by places

In the U.S. state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, the legal definition of a sedan service is the operation of a motor

vehicle for hire A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing private transport or shared transport for a fee, in which passengers are generally free to choose their points or approximate points of origin and destination, unlike public transport, and which they ...

using a motor vehicle designed to carry 15 or fewer persons, including the driver.Primary Law - State & Federal Case Law and more at Loislaw
/ref> In Canada, the city of Toronto, Bylaw ( Toronto Municipal Code 546) Provide for SEDAN SERVICE as Vehicle-for-hire License for Limousine, Taxicab, and Private Transportation Company such as Lyft, Uber, and Private Limo Service Toronto Companies designed to carry 4 or more passenger including the driver.

References

Vehicles for hire {{vehicle-stub