Chances are, it’s been a while, maybe years since you last sat in a taxi.
There can be many reasons for that. Perhaps you hate not knowing what your ride is going to cost before you get picked up. Or you can’t track the driver on your smartphone to see how far away they are as you’re waiting to get picked up.
Taxis are increasingly disappearing across the country, but United Cab in New Orleans is surviving with a fleet of 205 cabs. United Cab, which got its start in 1938, describes the effect Uber and other ridesharing services have had on their business as a “noose around the neck.” Before Uber officially made its debut in New Orleans in 2015, United had a fleet of nearly 450 cabs, but the rise of Uber has turned the taxi industry upside down.
Despite some tremendous headwinds, the general manager at United Cab is determined to never give up. Kirtan “Ron” Parmar started with United Cab in 1995 as a driver. An immigrant from India, Ron speaks lovingly of New Orleans and its people, especially the customers and businesses that continue to call United for a taxi.
For many locals, they can probably still rattle off United Cab’s phone number because the company had such a presence in the city for decades. Those days are in the rearview and United Cab has had to adapt to an industry that is all about apps, platforms and ease for customers. So, what’s it like running a taxi business in the age of Uber? Listen to podcast here.
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