Jump to content

Providence cabs


CtownMikey

Recommended Posts

I know there are numerous cab companies that can be called throughout the night, but what would a city like Providence need in order to have a single company non-stop driving cab force in providence? Our population is obviously (tiny) but our density is up there and only growing... so what about a cab company that limits its search to downtown but offers to drive the customers anywhere within say 15 miles?

I've been in NYC cabs but never bothered to notice if they are all under the same company or if they have driving/distance limits. I ask this because I saw people waving a cab down just outside of Trinity Brewhouse recently

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 10
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I know there are numerous cab companies that can be called throughout the night, but what would a city like Providence need in order to have a single company non-stop driving cab force in providence? Our population is obviously (tiny) but our density is up there and only growing... so what about a cab company that limits its search to downtown but offers to drive the customers anywhere within say 15 miles?

I've been in NYC cabs but never bothered to notice if they are all under the same company or if they have driving/distance limits. I ask this because I saw people waving a cab down just outside of Trinity Brewhouse recently

huh??????????? I must be tired.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know there are numerous cab companies that can be called throughout the night, but what would a city like Providence need in order to have a single company non-stop driving cab force in providence? Our population is obviously (tiny) but our density is up there and only growing... so what about a cab company that limits its search to downtown but offers to drive the customers anywhere within say 15 miles?

I've been in NYC cabs but never bothered to notice if they are all under the same company or if they have driving/distance limits. I ask this because I saw people waving a cab down just outside of Trinity Brewhouse recently

i'm pretty sure all NYC cabs are run by different companies, but the T&LC (taxi and limo commission) regulates them and i'm pretty sure has regulated them to the point of forcing the uniform cab yellow color. i also think many of them are owner operated. i do know, and this is from reading the stuff while sitting in the cab, that cabs in NYC won't necessarily take you where you need to go if it's too far, but it's at the cabbie's discretion if he will or not. this assumes, obviously, that you pay the tolls for the bridges and highways. some will only stay in manhattan, others will only stay within NYC (manhattan and the other boroughs), and some will take you farther.

i don't spend a ton of time downtown in providence, but there are cabs around that i've seen and most of them will take you where you need to go. i'm not sure if they have a limit, usually that's up to the cabbie if he's willing to drive that far. i once took a cab from jillians in boston to framingham. it was expensive, but they did it. the only cab i have experience with around here is the airport, but then i was just going 2 miles to my aunt's house where i left my car in warwick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea though I don't know how profitable it would be at the moment past maybe doing this around closing time at the clubs. Maybe in 10 years or so Providence will start to resemble a city like Boston with a large core. The Jewelry District, the immediate East Side through to Thayer St, the Promenade, and the West Side all seem to be slowly growing into part of the urban core. At the very least the "W" streets, Empire, Thayer, Atwells, and some other major roads should be seeing this kind of taxi service in the not so distant future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea though I don't know how profitable it would be at the moment past maybe doing this around closing time at the clubs. Maybe in 10 years or so Providence will start to resemble a city like Boston with a large core. The Jewelry District, the immediate East Side through to Thayer St, the Promenade, and the West Side all seem to be slowly growing into part of the urban core. At the very least the "W" streets, Empire, Thayer, Atwells, and some other major roads should be seeing this kind of taxi service in the not so distant future.

i agree... the only places i can think of where this might be useful is downtown around bar closing (maybe until about 3:30ish) and thayer and atwells around 1-2am. otherwise, they won't make much money and may lose it driving around. but like you said, soon enough i think we'll see more sections integrated into the urban core... i'd like to add smith hill in there as it has a ton of potential.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so what about a cab company that limits its search to downtown but offers to drive the customers anywhere within say 15 miles?

Isn't that pretty much what they do now? You can just walk over to Dorrance @ Kennedy Plaza and there's always a bunch sitting around. Or do you have to call?

Having cabs just waiting around for people to hail is definitely feasible in Providence. In Albany there's always tons of cabs driving around when the bars let out to bring drunk SUNY students back to campus. They don't have meters though, they just charge people a flat $3 per person fee for the 3 mile trip. Then yet, drunk driving is so commonplace in Providence that a lot of people may not even bother to take a bus downtown and then a cab home when going out drinking like they do in other cities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that pretty much what they do now? You can just walk over to Dorrance @ Kennedy Plaza and there's always a bunch sitting around. Or do you have to call?

Having cabs just waiting around for people to hail is definitely feasible in Providence. In Albany there's always tons of cabs driving around when the bars let out to bring drunk SUNY students back to campus. They don't have meters though, they just charge people a flat $3 per person fee for the 3 mile trip. Then yet, drunk driving is so commonplace in Providence that a lot of people may not even bother to take a bus downtown and then a cab home when going out drinking like they do in other cities.

one of the things i've heard about cabs around here is they really screw college students. it would help the congestion if there were just cabs to take people home. the cabs could follow a few special routes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that pretty much what they do now? You can just walk over to Dorrance @ Kennedy Plaza and there's always a bunch sitting around. Or do you have to call?

At Kennedy Plaza they do just have cabs sitting around to drive you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At Kennedy Plaza they do just have cabs sitting around to drive you.

yeah ... a handful in front of 711. I think they'd be able to get more business if they would drive around so people leaving the clubs could hail them. If you were to say "let's go downtown on the bus or in a cab and then walk back across downtown drunk to catch a cab home" it would be a hard sell. That contributes to the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah ... a handful in front of 711. I think they'd be able to get more business if they would drive around so people leaving the clubs could hail them. If you were to say "let's go downtown on the bus or in a cab and then walk back across downtown drunk to catch a cab home" it would be a hard sell. That contributes to the problem.

If not driving around atleast it vital spots, I know in boston, you can find them around big corners or at most T stops, near the schools around a lot of places and easy to find. If Providence, just set up some locations on the east side and downtown where they were visible and easy to get to I think the cab system would work a lot better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have them sit down on Pine and Chestnut Streets and along Weybosset and Washington, they'd get plenty of customers. The 'bus to the bar cab from the bar' system works very well in Albany, I must say. Ahh, the memories...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.