1.
vacant taxi; available cab
A taxi that has no passengers and is available for hire. The rooftop sign or dashboard indicator shows this status. Opposite of 賃走 (occupied) or 回送 (not in service).
空車のタクシーがなかなか来ない。
An available taxi just won't come.
空車の表示が出ているタクシーを見つけた。
I spotted a taxi showing the 'vacant' sign.
雨の日は空車のタクシーがなかなかつかまらない。
On rainy days, it's hard to find an available taxi.
2.
empty vehicle; unloaded vehicle
More broadly, a vehicle running without passengers or cargo.
トラックが空車で戻った。
The truck returned empty.
空車回送の距離を減らすことが課題だ。
Reducing the distance driven empty is a challenge.
空車率が高いと運送会社の収益が下がる。
A high empty-vehicle rate reduces a transport company's revenue.
USAGE:
Most commonly encountered on taxi signs in Japan. Japanese taxis display 空車 on the rooftop light or dashboard when available. The opposite states are 賃走 (metered/occupied), 回送 (out of service/returning to base), and 迎車 (dispatched to pick up a customer).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 空車のタクシー (an available taxi)
- 空車表示 (vacant indicator)
- 空車率 (empty-vehicle ratio)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 回送: out of service, deadheading — a taxi not accepting passengers
- 賃走: metered, occupied — a taxi currently carrying a fare