Taxi service has come to Neepawa

Details

Published on Friday, January 8, 2016

Richard Bhantooa of 1st Call Taxi, based out of Brandon, is bringing a new cab service to Neepawa.

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner

The wheels have been in motion to bring a taxi service to Neepawa. Late last year, 1st Call Taxi, based out of Brandon filed a business license request to establish the service within the town limits. Administration for the Town of Neepawa has reviewed the paperwork and approved the operation of the business. Two cabs were operational in Neepawa on a preliminary basis this past weekend.

Richard Bhantooa, the operations manager for 1st Call Taxi, said he’s heard very clearly from local residents that a cab service is exactly what the area needed.

“A friend of mine, who lives in Neepawa, informed me of the situation and the desire for this type of service in the region. So, I went online on Facebook and asked the question ‘Is this a service [Neepawa residents] would interested in?’ Overwhelmingly, the response was yes. Within about an hour of that first post, I had about 50 responses. All the comments were positive and my phone has been ringing off the hook as well, with messages asking ‘When would you start?’ So, that was an indicator that it’s something that could be viable and should be looked into,” noted Bhantooa.

Since mid-November, Bhantooa has been working with administration for the Town of Neepawa in getting all the proper paperwork, such as business and driver permits, looked after. Chief administrative officer Colleen Synchyshyn and economic development officer Marilyn Crewe worked with 1st Call Taxi to ensure it was compliant with the existing rules. Synchyshyn said this will be a real positive for the entire community.

“There’s a good section of the community that does not drive or have the ability to access transportation, so this creates an option for them to be able to be more mobile,” noted Synchyshyn. “This will be very positive.”

Crewe agreed and added that from an economic standpoint, any and all new businesses are welcome, but that a taxi service has been something that many people have wanted for quite some time.

Bhantooa said that for the time being, people interested in using the service will need to call the Brandon number, though the establishment of a Neepawa base of operations and local telephone number are being looked at.

“We started the business in Brandon, With this expansion  there are different by-laws we must obey, but the administration for the Town of Neepawa has been very helpful in working us through the process,” said Bhantooa.  “As for the company itself, we hope to establish ourselves here quickly and be a part of this community for a long time.”