pooh_bear3

Well it seems there may still be hope that the taxi monopoly at the airport might not happen! At any rate it will not be happening by Thanksgiving. On channel 3 news last night they showed reporters who were at the City Council meeting. They showed interviews with cab drivers and owners. Seems that right now the City Council agreed not to make a decision yet. Ace wasn't approved to get the contract, nor was anyone else.

So who does everyone think is the best cab company? If you have to chose only ONE for the airport who should it be?

Yes they have GPS, in the cars they have. BUT they will be buying 75 new white Crown Vics cabs for the airport contract and will have to put GPS in them the same as anyone else would have to. Having them in the cabs they already have doesn't seem like an advantage and has no relation to the cars that are required for the contract. No body has 75 white Crown Vics sitting around with GPS in them ready to go. The only thing they have others don't is the disadvantaged business part. Just makes you wonder if they got it because they were the best company for the job. Especially since they were the only ones mentioned from the start in the press release.

I think that there will only be ONE cab company at the airport, that part is already a done deal. The only thing that isn't final is if the City Council agrees with Ricky Smith to make the contract go to Ace,

If you look back at page 1, you will see a post by Musky quoting an article from Sept 25,2006 where Ricky Smith,director of port control said the plan was to contract to one company. And on Oct 21st a post from Musky quoting the Plain Dealer article announcing that Ricky Smith recommends Ace taxi to City Council for the bid. Also in my last post I put a link to a press release from the Cleveland Hopkins Airport announcing their plan to open bids for one taxi company to services the airport. It's part of their plan to give Cleveland a better look to out of towners passing through the airport into Cleveland. Why wouldn't they be able to do this? Look at the numbers I posted, and their promise in the bid. $1.3 million a year OR $2.50 charge per trip to the airport whichever is greater. 52 weeks a year x 500 trips per week= $26,000 trips 26,000 trips x $2.50 per trip= $65,000 Looks like the $1.3 is greater here. Where does the rest of the $1.3 million for the airport come from? How long could a company stay in business this way? The numbers don't add up. Yes they can buy cars and find drivers just like any other company. Which begs the question, why were they chosen? I don't see anything in their bid that every other company can't do EXCEPT promise $1.3 million a year. Which others obviously couldn't promise because it's not there!

Is Ace taxi REALLY the best company for the job? As a taxi rider from the airport I have to wonder, do I want to be forced to take an Ace cab? Why wouldn't the airport recommend one of the bigger taxi companies in Cleveland? Wouldn't the odds in achieving their goals be better served by a company with more experience, and financial backing. Bids were also submitted by Yellow Cab (100 taxi's on the road) and Americab(80 taxis on the road). Ace has @65 taxis on the road, has only been in business since 1997. I fail to understand why they opened the bidding to out of towners. If a company has more cabs now at their disposal they would also have more drivers to start with available for airport work. If this recommendation is followed by City Council and Ace gets the contract we will all be FORCED to take a cab from the airport from them. No other companies will be able to pick up at the airport. Did anyone look at reputations, customer service? Yahoo and Yellow Pages websites have places where people make comments on services in the Cleveland area businesses. They were NOT kind to Ace. Wonder what happens if the company they choose can't carry out their promises? I don't know the answer but I'm sure it will cost the airport and city more money. Ultimately our tax money. "Ace Taxi of Cleveland should manage cab service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport because it promises new cabs for passengers and millions of dollars for the airport, Hopkins chief Ricky Smith says." Millions, really? Looks like $1.3. When I hear millions I think of more than $1.3. Also see below how this will not work out. "Ace's bid to become the exclusive taxi management company at Hopkins includes a fleet of 2006 vans and Crown Victoria sedans and a guarantee of at least $1.3 million for the airport each year." Ace doesn't HAVE these yet, nor would anyone bidding. The contract info said they were to be white cars with the Cleveland Hopkins logo. No edge there. "He said Ace plans to recruit the most experienced drivers from all seven cab companies working at Hopkins. He said two other companies bid: Yellow Cab and Americab." Anyone could plan that. But can they pull it off? Maybe a larger company wouldn't NEED to recruit people. They have more to choose from from the start. "A committee of managers at the airport recommended Ace, in part, because it uses global positioning technology to help drivers find their way around." So they have GPS in the cars they use right now. They DON'T have it in the cars they will have to purchase. Same as everyone else! "Ace is the only bidder certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Smith said. The federal government requires that 40 percent of the revenue-generating contracts at U.S. airports be awarded to companies certified as disadvantaged businesses, Smith said. Disadvantaged businesses are owned by, or employ, minorities or other disadvantaged workers. Is this the OTHER part of the reason for choosing Ace? I think it's odd that the original press release from Cleveland Hopkins airport (http://www.clevelandairport.com/Portals/Documents/CLE%20Taxi%20cab%20service.pdf) on Sept 1,2006 includes statements from one of the owners of Ace. Nothing from any other company. Under the proposed contract, Ace would: * Guarantee the airport $1.3 million or $2.50 per trip annually, whichever is greater. Smith said cabs make about 500 trips a week from Hopkins. I fail to see how this would be possible. Do the math. 52 weeks a year x 500 trips per week= $26,000 trips 26,000 trips x $2.50 per trip= $65,000 Where does the rest of the $1.3 million for the airport come from? Keep in mind the cost of purchasing 75 new Crown Vics with GPS and the other costs of doing business. * Equip its cabs with global positioning systems to help cabbies reach their destinations. * Make interpreters available for drivers and passengers Smith said passengers would pay a 50-cent per-trip surcharge under the proposal." And the others bidding can't do this? Why was Ace chosen? I don't see any real concrete reasons here. I don't see what they have that others don't. City Counsel hasn't yet approved the recommendation. Maybe there's still hope for a better choice. If we want to help make Cleveland look better to out of town people passing through our airport maybe we should make sure we have the right people for the job. People with more experience running a cab company. All above quotes are from the Plain Dealer article from October 21,2006

Musky, Thank for the welcome. No I do not nor have I driven a taxi. But I do ride in them! Stumbled on this forum looking up info on the airport deal. My point in my response saying that nobody mentioned companies was because there are a number of people, and the newspaper article that was quoted here, saying cab service is slacking and it makes Cleveland look bad to visitors. That being said the best way to invoke change is to let people know the good, bad and the ugly! Good service deserves praise and bad service means get into another companies cabs! If I knew that a company was known for bad service I wouldn't ride in one of their cabs! If I knew who drove off with the door open as people were getting in, (read earlier in this list of postings) I would not ride with them!

I've read good things here and bad things here about taking a cab in Cleveland. But very few mention company names.