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.
Composed of 迎える (to meet/pick up) + 車 (vehicle). A taxi-industry term commonly seen on taxi roof signs and meter displays in Japan. When a taxi shows 迎車, it means someone has already called it and it cannot accept other passengers.
Common collocations
- 迎車料金: dispatch fee (typically 300-500 yen)
- 迎車表示: dispatched display (on the meter)
- 迎車で来る: to come as a dispatched taxi
Usage
Not to be confused with the homophone 芸者 (geisha, traditional entertainer). The kanji make the meaning clear in writing, but in speech context is needed to distinguish them.