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For more than 25 years,
Yellow Cab Austin has been serving our community with innovative transportation solutions, superior customer service, and respected corporate leadership.
Originally known as American Cab, the company has grown to become the largest provider of taxicab services in the city of Austin. |
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"Before 1985, it was not unusual to have to wait two or three hours for a taxicab.
I've experienced the impact of technological advancement in this industry first
hand and for me it results in more trips." – Brad Ryker
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On April 1, 1985, American Cab was born. Awarded 100 permits by the Austin City Council, the company hit the ground running.
In fact, on opening day, more than 800 trips were dispatched – and that number nearly doubled by the end of the first week of operation.
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With innovative marketing and advertising campaigns, the success of the new company grew rapidly. Brand new cabs, painted red, white and blue,
paraded down Congress Avenue in downtown Austin with honking horns that proudly played the “The Eyes of Texas,” the official song of The University of Texas at Austin.
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It was in that same year Austin felt the pain of the oil bust. Employers shed over 220,000 jobs during the five year local economic decline
from 1982-1987. Yellow Cab was hard hit as dispatch business started drying up. In order to survive another downturn like this one it was
time for Yellow Cab to diversify. Yellow Cab accomplished this with the creation of a new entry in Austin in 1985, initially with 75 permits
operating under the name of American Cab and the later acquisition of Yellow Cab and Roy's Cab.
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One short year later, the city council awarded American Cab an additional 50 permits to meet an ever-growing demand for our dispatch service.
By 1987, computerized dispatching service was brought to town by our groundbreaking company allowing for more efficient and effective service.
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In 1995, through the acquisition of Yellow Checker Cab, a new company was formed – American Yellow-Checker Cab Co. The acquisition,
unanimously approved by Austin City Council, brought with it an additional 130 permits/cabs bringing the number of American Yellow-Checker taxis servicing the city to 280.
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Just as Austin grew, so too did American Yellow-Checker and our dispatch business. By 2005, demand for service was quickly eclipsing the supply of
taxi permits and our company approached a local competitor, Roy’s Taxi, to lease additional permits from them. Instead, they offered to sell.
Yellow Cab paid $5,000,000 for the permits and millions more to upgrade their equipment.
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By a 6-1 vote, the Austin City Council approved the sale and American Yellow-Checker became Yellow Cab Austin.
Stipulations of our acquisition’s approval by the city included the city’s creation of a third franchise and a 60 percent rule,
which stated that moving forward no single franchise could have more than 60 percent of the taxicab permits.
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Today, Yellow Cab Austin proudly has, because of 25 years of service and investment, 455 taxis on the road meeting more than 97 percent Austin’s
dispatched taxicab needs. This was not because of allocation, but through the market and providing great service.
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While there are other cab companies in Austin, none are as committed to the dispatch business and to investing in a quality service and
technology as Yellow Cab Austin. Through marketing, advertising, and technological upgrades, it is our goal to provide the Independent Contractor Drivers
of our company with the best services available which gives them the tools to successfully run their small businesses.
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Keeping Austin moving is about more than standing at the airport waiting for fares. Yellow Cab is downtown, cross-town and at the airport,
getting Austinites and visitors to our city where they need to go, when they need to go.
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