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New firm wants to keep Taxifast staff on the road
David-Trace
A NEW Plymouth taxi firm has thrown a lifeline to the 350 workers left without an employer when the Taxifast empire ceased trading at the weekend.
The entirely separate company Taxifirst has written to 48 former Taxifast operations room staff and all its self-employed drivers, offering to take them on. Taxifirst owner and director David Trace, who has pumped £200,000 into the new venture, is confident nearly all the staff and drivers will join his new company.
He has offered to pay the drivers a "token payment" of the two weeks' wages they lost due to the demise of Taxifast, as a "goodwill gesture".
He has also offered them a three-year freeze on the rent they pay for using the Taxifirst booking system, and the opportunity to work during holiday periods without being charged rent.
Mr Trace also vowed office staff who join his firm will receive a "token payment" on Friday. His actions are designed to ensure staff, left jobless when Taxifast closed, do not end up unemployed.
Had his firm not made the offer Plymouth would have faced an unemployment problem potentially larger than when Toshiba shut its Ernesettle plant with the loss of 270 jobs last year.
"It's about caring for the staff and the drivers," said Mr Trace. "It's to put stability into the company. The drivers and staff are your future. They are ambassadors for your company."
Mr Trace has also contacted customers of Taxifast, and said: "I am seeing account customers to reassure them that I will provide a 24-hour, on-demand taxi service with smart, uniformed drivers and a well presented fleet.
"It is to offer them a facility if they desire it."
And he added: "Equally important are our everyday commercial customers too. Every call to the company is important."
People who ring the Taxifast number are at the moment being given the opportunity of receiving a Taxifirst service.
His company has also taken over the running of the Northern Connect taxibus service, previously run by Taxifast, also as a "goodwill gesture".
Mr Trace stressed the company is running the vehicles, and paying for it, to ensure users do not lose their rides.
Meanwhile he is keen to talk to Plymouth City Council about the future of the service.
"I am trying to look after [the passengers]," he said. "I have no right or responsibility to run that. We will have meetings with the council to see where we can go forward."
Mr Trace was the former operations manager and director at Taxifast.
But he is keen to stress Taxifirst is solely owned by him – and has no connection with former Taxifast chairman John Preece.
Taxifast, and its parent firm Key Cabs, ceased trading at the weekend.
Mr Preece told The Herald he plans to claim £10million from Lloyds TSB, blaming the bank for driving the firms out of business by changing funding arrangements.
He is also now reviewing his personal finances and said his home in USA is up for sale and his Plymouth house could be under threat, too.
Mr Trace today explained he had been left out of pocket by Taxifast's demise.
He sold his firm Hackney Carriage Rentals Ltd, which he had run successfully for 14 years, for £500,000 to Mr Preece's operation in 2006, then joined Taxifast as a director.
But he has not received payment, and the money is in a Taxifast director's loan account.
Taxifirst is based in offices in Mutley Plain, and uses newly purchased equipment.
Mr Trace said the aim of the company is "steady, progressive growth".
"I'm in this for the long haul," he said. "I'm already encouraged by the support I've received. But I'm not complacent.
"My approach is to supply the people of Plymouth with a well-run taxi service."
No one from Lloyds TSB was available to comment last night.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Ne ... ticle.html
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