low-cost licenses in suburbs
Drivers steer cabs to untapped areas
St Columbus Dispatch!
Hakim Shirwa wants to build a fleet of taxicabs anchored around Worthington's two hotels. The cost and scarcity of Columbus taxi licenses have many drivers looking to the suburbs.
Hakim Shirwa has been driving a cab for more than 10 years, but always while working for someone else.
He leased his cab from his last employer, Blue Cab, for about $250 a week, money he had to make up in fares before earning money to feed his wife and six children.
Taxi drivers such as Shirwa, who struggle to make a living in Columbus, are seeking cab licenses in the suburbs where costs are lower and they can be their own bosses.
At least 37 Columbus cabdrivers have applied for licenses in Worthington this month, so many that city officials decided Wednesday not to accept any more while they process their current stack.
Before that, the city had just two active cab licenses. Cab owners pay $150 per year for a license in Columbus -- if they're lucky enough to have one of the 500 available. But in Worthington, it's just $10, and there's no limit to licenses.
Shirwa originally thought Upper Arlington would be a good location. But Worthington, more than twice the distance from Downtown, would mean longer trips and more profit.
For years, Columbus has sought a balance of cabdrivers, enough to meet public demand, but not so many that drivers can't make money.
"When times get hard and things get tough, everyone is vying for what business is out there," said Sharon Gadd, license manager for the Columbus Department of Public Safety, which regulates cabdrivers.
Columbus limits the number of cabs to 500. Opening the streets to anyone who wants to operate a cab would be a problem, Gadd said.
" Free market sounds great," she said. "But you have to make it viable to those who work here."
Columbus cabbies can sell their licenses, but the price is prohibitive for struggling drivers.
"We hear that on the open market (licenses) can be $40,000 and up," said Gadd.
Even without limits, most suburbs such as Upper Arlington, Gahanna and Westerville have no licensed cabdrivers.
A Columbus cabdriver filled out an application in Westerville last week, said Mary Johnston, Westerville's clerk. "He said something about picking up a lady who complained that the city didn't have a cab company."
Shirwa recently bought his own cab and opened an office and now is trying to lure other Columbus drivers to work with him. He envisions a small fleet, under the name Worthington Red Cab, anchored at the city's two hotels.
A desk clerk at the Holiday Inn Worthington said the extra cabs will be good for customers. Jay Knapp, manager of Jason's Restaurant and Bar, agreed, "if a patron has had a few too many or an out-of-town business is hosting a meeting."
Abdi Hashi, a Columbus driver, filled out a Worthington license application last Friday, as his 3-year-old son, Hassan, scampered around Worthington's City Hall.
Asked if owning his own cab and being his own boss are worth the hassle, he replied, "It'll be way easier than it is right now."
Worthington City Clerk Kay Thress has spoken with many of the enthusiastic applicants and struggles when they ask about making a living in the city.
"I want them to succeed," she said. "But I'm not sure there's enough business here. But then, who am I to squash that (dream), that maybe they can."
Cabbies licensed in suburbs are allowed to drop off customers at Port Columbus and other Columbus destinations. But they can't legally pick them up, said Gadd. Getting caught doing so is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Shirwa, dressed in a suit and tie, said he'll gladly abide: "When you love your job, you should follow the rules."
Worthington Law Director Mike Minister said an influx of Worthington cabbies might force the city to raise its $10 license fee.
"I happen to think that $25 would be a bargain," he said.
Like Columbus, Worthington requires cabbies to have insurance and marked sedans, but it doesn't require safety inspections. "I don't know why that was never done," said Minister, who will recommend that inspections be required.
Login
Register
FAQ
