SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Summerside’s Team Taxi is under new ownership.
The long-standing taxi stand was recently purchased by 30-year-old Josh Ernst.
Ernst said he was on vacation in Montreal earlier this month when he spotted an advertisement online for the stand’s sale.
“It was a good opportunity,” he said.
Ernst contacted the previous owner, David Bradshaw, and the sale was arranged within the hour. Bradshaw is staying on as a driver.
Ernst was living in Saint John, N.B., but has relocated to Summerside as of last week.
This is not his first foray into the taxi business – in fact he grew up in it.
Ernst’s father owned a taxi company in Halifax while he was growing up. While living in Saint John he also founded Port City Cab and later purchased University Cab. Ernst has since sold both businesses.
“I believe he’s going to make it grow. I want to help him make it grow.”
-Wade (Jessie) Clow, Team Taxi dispatcher
He was not looking to get back into the cab business, he said, but considered this opportunity too good to pass up.
Team Taxi has established equipment, clients, cars and drivers, so it already has a solid foundation to build on. There are currently 12 cars in its stables and Ernst will be adding another four.
Ernst said he’s hoping to modernize Team Taxi in a lot of ways.
“Get it out of the ‘70s and into 2019,” he said.
As such, he’s working to get each taxi equipped with GPS, having a debit machine in each vehicle and moving to a computerized dispatch system with a mobile phone app.
“Younger people want the app (especially,)” he said. “You can have a taxi at the push of a button.”
Wade (Jessie) Clow is a dispatcher with Team Taxi and has been in the Summerside cab industry since 1977. He’s happy to hear the changes Ernst is bringing on.
“I believe he’s going to make it grow. I want to help him make it grow.”
Ernst said he’s excited to get to work in Summerside.
There are now three taxi companies operating in Summerside: Team Taxi, United Summerside Taxi and Lucky’s Taxi.
Facebook.com/JournalPMacLean
Twitter.com/journalpmaclean
RELATED
