Taxi!

On Thursday afternoon at about 3:45 p.m., Tracy Westbrook arrives for her shift. A bail bondsman for many years, she started driving for Taxi Terry’s in November 2012. Today, she’ll sit behind the wheel for the rest of the afternoon and into the night — for up to 12 hours — while picking up and delivering customers and will probably travel somewhere between 100 to 150 miles. But she’s OK with that; in fact, she loves her job. For Westbrook and many others who work in the taxi business, it’s not only a good fit but also a good job in an industry that is on the rise.

Think taxi, and most people envision large cities, especially New York, which according to Wikipedia has more taxis than any city in North America. As of February 2011, New York City had close to 13,300 taxis. With congested traffic, millions of people and limited parking spaces, taxis are often the only surefire way to get from one place to another, so for booming metropolises such as the Big Apple, taxi services go hand in hand.

But what about smaller cities and towns that don’t run 24/7, where rush hour traffic takes far less time? Is taxi service really necessary? What about Columbia?

Services in Columbia
Terry Nickerson and his wife, Angie, who own Taxi Terry’s, certainly think so. In business since 2009, both are certified drivers, and they employ 18 other drivers for their fleet of 10 minivans, one VIP minivan and one 12-passenger van. Still, they stress that they worked hard to get where they are now. “We have reached out to a market of people that wouldn’t typically take a taxi, such as Columbia business professionals,” Angie says.

Terry says he believes part of their success is due to how they represent themselves and treat their customers. “In the past there was a stereotype of drivers as being disgusting or misfits,” he says. “We have tried to change the way people perceive drivers.” Along with cleaning and washing their taxis after every shift, the Nickersons also have a policy that everyone who works for them refrain from using the word cab. “Taxi is higher quality,” Terry Nickerson says. “It’s like the difference between a cook and a chef.”

Terry Hancox, owner of Tiger Taxi LLC, which has seven cars in its fleet, agrees that taxi service is an important feature in a town the size of Columbia, and she says it’s becoming more important as the city continues to grow. “When I started there was like two of us,” Hancox says. “My last count was 10.”

Laurie Huey, a manager at J and J Taxi, which bought out A-1 Taxi, says they started just over a year ago with three cars. Now they have 10 in their fleet.

One unique element that helps Columbia sustain so many taxi services is the sheer volume of students who attend the colleges and universities in the area. Malcolm Castilow, owner of Zap Cab, which has only been operating for a few months, caters primarily to the college crowd. “Columbia has a strong economy, and with new students coming in each year, it’s a great place to set up any business,” he says.

Nickerson says that though his business markets to the people who live and work in Columbia year-round, student riders are the “icing on the cake.” Like most taxi services in town, Taxi Terry’s increases its number of cars on Friday and Saturday nights to accommodate the bar crowds.

Columbia’s crackdown on drunk driving has also increased business, Nickerson says. “People have come to realize it’s safer and cheaper to get a taxi then to take a chance.”

Contacting with area businesses
The city’s fluctuating population does make it difficult for local taxis to remain sustainable when the phone isn’t ringing as often. Some expand their services by contracting with area businesses. Hancox says they have an agreement with Ronald McDonald House to shuttle families back and forth from the hospital. Similarly, Nickerson contracts with Boone Family Resource Center. Public school teacher Laura Sandstedt says her school has a young lady with Down syndrome who volunteers at her school and uses Taxi Terry’s. “They are always on schedule, and her mom trusts them,” she says.

It is also not uncommon for a taxi service to set up ongoing reservations for in-town business people or people who frequently come into Columbia. “We start off the day with around 80 reservations,” Angie Nickerson says. In addition, she says the business offers a discount to anyone who uses their service if they are going to and from the same place three times a week.

Rick’s Taxi, owned by Rick Lacy, has seven minivans and contracts with Columbia Regional Airport. According to driver David Craig, they not only shuttle passengers to the local airport from anywhere in Columbia for a flat rate, but they also deliver luggage to passengers’ homes if it fails to arrive when they do.

Sustaining in the marketplace
Sometimes staying sustainable in a market the size of Columbia requires some creativity and innovation. Because Castilow’s vehicles are all Prius hybrids, he feels many of his customers appreciate the fact that he offers a greener alternative to the typical taxi. “My customer base has grown in leaps and bounds,” he says. This spring he will have an online presence and offer 24/7 service. He also hopes to transition to fully electric vehicles in the future.

Nickerson utilizes car-top advertising, featuring local ads for area businesses, such as Providence Bank, Christian Chapel and Dents Unlimited. To increase client loyalty, he offers a take-your-car-home service. “We have clients that might go out and don’t want to drive home,” he says. “We get the car later, drive it to their place and put their keys where they ask us to put them.”

Another reason the taxi industry is growing in Columbia is because, for the most part, the city welcomes taxi services, though LaDean Shivers, owner of Columbia Taxi, which opened almost two years ago, is concerned about a taxi stand policy in The District. The policy restricts taxis to picking up customers only at designed taxi stands in the downtown area during peak bar hours. “The city wants people to go downtown and spend their money on food and activities,” she says, “but they also want them to go where they say to get a ride home.” She feels this is not only confusing for people visiting Columbia but also a hardship on anyone with a disability or who is inebriated. “Policies should benefit the person who is going to ride in the taxi and should make the person safer. At this point the issue isn’t being addressed at all. There is definitely room for improvement.”

Hancox agrees that the policy encourages people to take chances. “When people start drinking and don’t use the best judgment, if they can walk to their car, they may hop in and drive when they are too drunk to do so.”

Westbrook worries about drunk drivers as well and hopes most people make the right decision because she is on the road almost every day of the week. Despite that, she plans to keep driving a taxi. It’s not always the easiest job when everything from hazardous weather conditions to difficult passengers can make for a long day, but the money is good, and the hours work for her family.

Overall, she says she appreciates the atmosphere of the industry. “If you’re in the taxi business, they take care of you. It’s more like a family.”