The typical north American taxi is a clunky Ford or Chevrolet that long ago lost its allure to the family car buyer.

Not so in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, where taxi operators have taken the lead from their Japanese counterparts. Since late 2004, dozens of Toyota Prius hybrid petrol-electric cars have been cruising the streets of the two western Canadian cities. Tokyo was the first city to launch an "eco-taxi" fleet.