Liverpool taxi firm in Singapore takeover
Scouse Monthly!
ONE of Liverpool’s oldest taxi firms has been taken over by a Singapore group.
Merseycabs was bought for a six figure sum by CityFleet (UK) – part of Singapore-based transport multinational ComfortDelGro Corporation.
Australian company Cabcharge also owns a stake in CityFleet.
Spokesman for the new owners Simon Haynes pledged it will be business as usual for the 700 drivers who operate the 400-strong hackney cab fleet on a double shift.
And he promised a better service for customers and passengers.
CityFleet also owns hackney cab firms in London, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Birmingham.
Mr Haynes said a new national booking and pay system being rolled out across its London fleet early next year would then be extended to the rest of the operation.
Merseycabs was already a partner with CityFleet in its international Cabcharge taxi account service.
The 50-year-old Liverpool firm was owned by 5% of its drivers who were shareholders.
Mr Haynes said they had all remained with the Falkland Street company.
He said: “They are still with us because we want to keep continuity.
“We don’t own the taxis – so it is all about our relationship with the drivers and with our customers.”
The company has a range of contracts with corporate customers and council deals such as social services and schools work.
It was formed by a group of taxi drivers in 1958 and claims to be the biggest hackney operator in Liverpool with a 25% share of the market.
Rumours of a possible takeover emerged in February this year.
The company confirmed it had been “approached by a third party interested in buying the business.”
Speculation was rife among many drivers at the time that the approach was from an overseas company.
CityFleet (UK) chief executive John Lee said: “This acquisition is an excellent fit with our other UK operations and I’m confident our investment will bring benefits to all parties including customers, drivers and staff.”
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