Checker Cabs Calgary wins airport RFP
Checker Transportation Group president Kurt Enders with long-time Checker driver Ehsan Ahadi. Enders says drivers are happy about having choices between working downtown, working the airport, or both. Photo: Checker Cabs
Calgary’s Checker Cabs can now wait at the curb at YYC International Airport.
Checkers’ president Kurt Enders told Taxi News that while they have always been allowed to pick up at the airport, they were not allowed to wait at the curb; clients would have to call them or go find a car at departures.
“For 12 years, we were not the designated firm to be able to pick up at the airport. I looked at the Request for Proposals (RFPs) that were issued over the years, but I did not feel it was worth responding.
“The last time the airport put out an RFP, we worked with Associated Taxis to put an RFP together and we were successful in winning it; it became effective February 1st.”
Calgary’s airport, YYC International, is the third busiest airport in Canada with over 6 million trips per year. Checker Cabs is the busiest cab company in Calgary with almost 4 million trips per year. Checker has approximately 850 cars on the road.
“Because we were not allowed at the curb at the airport for 12 years, we built a very good city business,” Enders points out. “Now, our drivers will have more choice in what they want to do: downtown, the airport, or both.”
Enders says he is optimistic about the outlook for Taxi in Calgary: “People are getting frustrated with Uber’s dynamic pricing and excessive charges,” he notes. “Lots of them are coming back to Taxi. And in fact, the existence of Uber has brought more drivers into the business who perhaps never would have considered driving before, and some of them are coming to us. So it’s all good.”
