Harrisonburg Taxi Business Competition

HARRISONBURG TAXI BUSINESS COMPETITION

(ANCHOR LEAD)

Cab companies in Virginia are struggling to stay afloat in today’s competition pool. Uber and Lyft are taking a majority of the customer base. Breeze T-V’s Aubree Daniel focuses in on local cab companies to see the effects.

(TRACK 1)

In the five years John Hensley’s worked for Royal Cab, business has never been this bad.

(SOT- JOHN HENSLEY)

I used to bring like two or three hundred dollars minimum in cash home every day. Now I’m lucky if I bring 150 to 200.

(TRACK 2)

Even though Harrisonburg is one of the fastest growing cities in Virginia, taxi companies are shrinking. Yellow Cab’s parking lot used to be full. Now it’s almost empty.

(NAT SOUND)

Taxi driving towards camera, outside taxi company.

(SOT - CLO RODEFFER)

Probably 75 percent of our business is gone...Uber does not have to do the regulations that we as a taxicab business in the city of Harrisonburg have to do.

(TAXI REQUIREMENT GRAPHIC)

Show list in video.

(TRACK 3)

Uber and taxi companies are regulated differently in Virginia. Uber is a Transportation Network Company. So it doesn't follow Virginia taxi laws.

(SOT- JOHN HENSLEY)

It’s kind of a struggle sometimes.

(TRACK 4)

But Green Taxi is far from struggling.

(SOT- ELIA CORTES)

We’re still running 24-seven. Almost all the drivers are bilingual. Some American people call us, but most the Hispanic community. Weekend with the students, they call more Uber. But thank God we still have a business.

(TRACK 5)

But for Hensley, it’s too hard to compete with a mobile app.

(SOT- JOHN HENSLEY)

I look for the cab companies to pretty much go out of business within less than five years.

(TRACK 6)

Uber has taken over most of the Harrisonburg market. Without interference from the state, local taxi companies may eventually disappear. Reporting for Breeze T-V in Harrisonburg, I’m Aubree Daniel.