Fare deal to tempt you?SHOPPING pensioners and late night revellers will be targeted by North Staffordshire's newest taxi firm.
The founders of Normacot-based Ace Taxis hope that by offering cheaper fares for shorter journeys they will revive markets previously considered lost to private hire cars.
FARE DEAL: Directors of the new taxi firm Ace private hire hope lower fares will bring back elderly customers. Picture: Martin Brough
Mohammed Khan and Mohammed Amin, who have 32 years of taxi driving experience between them, believe more people will use taxis if the price is right.
The company will offer all customers a minimum fare of £2 – compared with a minimum of £3 offered by most private hire firms.
Mr Khan says such a change will make all the difference to pensioners and others with limited funds.
The 30-year-old, from Fenton, said: "When fares used to be lower, pensioners used to take taxis to go shopping, but now they either walk or take the bus. This isn't good for their health – especially during winter when they're having to stand in a cold bus shelter.
"So we're making our minimum fare £1 lower than the other taxi firms in North Staffordshire. If a pensioner is making the same return journey five times a week, that adds up to £10, which will be a big chunk of their pension.
"Another job we don't really see these days is the pub-to-pub job, where we get a group of people sharing a taxi from one pub to another, which might just be 200 metres away. If we're charging just £2, for a group of four that's 50p each."
Ace Taxis, which is based in a former college building in Normacot Road, has already recruited 28 drivers.
But this still makes the company a relatively small player compared to more established firms such as Longton-based Lucky Seven, which has more than 200 vehicles.
Mr Khan added: "We know it's going to be difficult starting a new business, and fuel costs are always rising, but we believe we can succeed through volume. The thing about the taxi industry is that there isn't much customer loyalty. If a taxi firm can take you where you want to go, and it's cheaper, you don't care who it is. Also, our overheads are going to be a lot lower. They've got 20 people in their bases, while we've only got six."
Business partner Mohammed Amin, who has been a taxi driver for 20 years, believes Ace Taxis approach will benefit both drivers and passengers.
The 44-year-old, from Normacot, said: "We've been talking about setting up our own firm for the last couple of years. We've seen how we don't get certain types of jobs anymore. When we ask our customers about it, they say it's to do with price. So hopefully our firm will be better for customers and drivers."
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Fa ... story.html
Login
Register
FAQ
