The ubiquitous New York taxi dates back to 1907, when automobiles first became common. There had been horse–drawn cabs before that but they never saw the popularity that their mechanical replacements soon achieved. The new fleet of taxis jammed city streets until regulation began in 1937, when medallion taxi licenses were introduced. These licenses allowed drivers to pick up people on the street and limited the overall number of taxis in the city. In 1967, all medallion cabs were painted yellow by municipal mandate. In total, there are about 15,000 licensed yellow cabs that operate in the city, plus gypsy cabs and car services.