(げいしゃ)

げいしゃ
noun
taxi en route to pick up a passenger; dispatched taxi
1. taxi en route to pick up a passenger; dispatched taxi
A taxi that has been called and is on its way to the customer's location. Displayed on the taxi's roof sign or meter to indicate it is not available for street hails.
あのタクシーは迎車(げいしゃ)だから()められない。
That taxi is on a pickup call, so we can't flag it down.
迎車(げいしゃ)料金(りょうきん)会社(かいしゃ)によって(こと)なる。
The dispatch fee varies by taxi company.
アプリでタクシーを()んだら、すぐに迎車(げいしゃ)表示(ひょうじ)()安心(あんしん)した。
When I called a taxi through the app, the dispatched status immediately appeared and I felt relieved.

Composed of (むか)える (to meet/pick up) + (しゃ) (vehicle). A taxi-industry term commonly seen on taxi roof signs and meter displays in Japan. When a taxi shows 迎車(げいしゃ), it means someone has already called it and it cannot accept other passengers.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 迎車(げいしゃ)料金(りょうきん): dispatch fee (typically 300-500 yen)
  • 迎車(げいしゃ)表示(ひょうじ): dispatched display (on the meter)
  • 迎車(げいしゃ)()る: to come as a dispatched taxi

USAGE:
Not to be confused with the homophone 芸者(げいしゃ) (geisha, traditional entertainer). The kanji make the meaning clear in writing, but in speech context is needed to distinguish them.