Abertillery female evening taxi service opened this week
A NEW female evening taxi service has been opened in Abertillery this week, as Clare Parry starts Clare’s Cabs.
Originally a driver for a big taxi firm, Abertillery-born Clare decided to branch out on her own after winning the Outstanding Service Award at the inaugural Gwent Taxi Awards in April.
The event was designed to reward taxi drivers for their service and help raise awareness of some of the perils of being a nighttime taxi driver, created by the Community Cohesion and Hate Crime teams at Monmouthshire County Council.
She won with 25 per cent of the vote, which is no small feat.
Miss Parry said: “The voters had to explain their choices. I’ve always thought of taxi driving as not just a job but also a duty of care to people, and I like to help people.
“I’ve been told that’s why a lot of people voted for me, even though I absolutely never expected to win.
“I’ve been overwhelmed with the support I’ve received for the new business.”
Although she is not the only female taxi business, Miss Parry has ensured she fills the gap in the market by making her services available in the evenings and weekends, between the hours of 10am – 11pm.
She has become known among her clients for being the ‘driver that cares’.
“It’s more about the care than the driving, about going that extra mile for a customer,” she said. “I just have such a big heart and want to help everyone best I can.
“I see so many people struggling every day at the moment and I want to do what I can. That might mean in some cases racing someone to A&E or escorting someone in and out of the pub on a Friday night.”
As part of this, Clare’s Cabs have recently had a specialist disability vehicle pass its inspection test, so she hopes to have that available to customers with mobility issues from this weekend.
Miss Parry believes that part of the motivation to take on her own business was to prove that women can work in an industry dominated by men.
She also credits the licensing team with helping to encourage her to start the company. “I almost wasn’t going to renew my licence, then I got this call about renewing, and if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be where I am now, doing what I love.”
As she is booked up with a slew of regular customers, Clare is already looking to expand her business.
She has plans to grow her reach, to include surrounding areas such as Ebbw Vale and Blackwood in her routes.
You can book Clare’s Cabs by calling +44 7399 040144 or by visiting their Facebook page.
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When the licensing team here get in touch, I generally lose the will to live 