Redcar taxi firm set up by three friends to take its first passengers next week
A Redcar taxi firm - set up by three friends - will take its first passengers next week. Red-car Taxis is "dedicated to Redcar and the surrounding areas".
It's the brainchild of Darren Lee, Barkat Hussain and Rob Wiley - who are all local to the area.
Darren owns successful firm Practical Van Hire, Barkat - known as Mr B - is a former steelworker and is a well-known face in the area after running a shop in Dormanstown for years.
And Rob Wiley has worked in the family business, Wiley's butchers in Marske, among other things.
Rob said: "Redcar people tend to want a local firm. "I think a lot of people do. "We don't want to rule the world.
"We want to run this as a decent, reliable local business with enough cars to keep Redcar and Cleveland happy.
"The business idea for Redcar and Cleveland is a little bit different to Middlesbrough, which is a much bigger town.
"What works in one place sometimes doesn't work in another." And the response has been "brilliant", Rob says.
"People say 'it's about time we had a local firm'. "We can't compete with the likes of Boro Cars or Royal Cars financially, we know that.
"They could fill our garage with money. "But we can try to do a good job."
Darren "never stops" and is "excellent at what he does", says Rob. "He knows the game inside out.
"Mr B worked at British Steel and owned a shop in Dormanstown, everybody knows him."
The friends have also drawn up a contract that says none of them can sell their share without the others agreeing, in the hope it will reassure drivers.
They start on Monday with the phone lines open 24 hours a day, seven days a week - and a fleet of 20 cars.
"It's a start," says Rob,"we are hoping that will grow. "It's a good job I'm already bald, otherwise I'd probably lose my hair.
"But we just felt there was hole in the market, we talked about it one day - and so now we're giving it a go."
