Business Profile: Carmel Taxi and Car Service, Carmel
DAVID PROPPER PHOTO
When Ruth Pardo Ayala-Quezada first started Carmel Taxi, it was primarily just her and her sister. Since then, it’s expanded quite a bit since 2006 when the business was founded.
“We started growing,” she said. “We started hiring.”
And today, Carmel Taxi (also associated with Mahopac Taxi) has become a trademark name in Putnam County for residents that need a ride guaranteed to be safe and on time. Chatting with Ayala-Quezada for even a few minutes, anyone can tell she has a thorough knowledge of the industry.
In fact, the taxi industry runs in Ayala-Quezada’s family. Her father worked his way up to owning his cabbing company, Ernest Taxi, in Mount Kisco in Westchester County and then sold it and opened another taxi company in Putnam County. Her father began as cleaner in the office and other side-jobs, then drove a taxi and eventually started his own business.
Ayala-Quezada, who immigrated to the United States from Peru when she was 11 with her family, even drove for her dad at one point.
Ayala-Quezada explains in order to run a successful taxi business it must focus first on safety. All of Carmel Taxi vehicles are registered in Westchester in which the company pays fees and all drivers must be fingerprinted, background tested and drug tested. Every vehicle is inspected and properly insured.
“It’s a lot more than having a license and getting your car and going,” she said.
Ayala-Quezada said what makes Carmel Taxi unique is the business is able to know where all the drivers are at any point. There is a GPS tracking item in each car, all of which are company owned, so Ayala-Quezada can see on a map on the computer where each driver is heading. It’s actually rare to have cars owned by the cabbing company, Ayala-Quezada said, because many other companies usually have private operators and that company gets a cut of the money the driver earns.
By knowing where each driver is going, it makes safety paramount. Customers want to make sure they’re getting into a secure car, she stressed.
“We control our drivers,” Ayala-Quezada said. “I guess I’m a little bit of a control freak.”
Carmel Taxi and Mahopac Taxi typically services the Putnam area like Carmel, Brewster, and Mahopac, but will take passengers to locations like airports near New York City. On occasion, people will call with strange requests, especially during overnights. Some will ask to for drivers to make pit stops at late night fast food places like McDonalds, which is usually accommodated.
Ayala-Quezada said she wants residents enjoying the night out to realize taking a cab is a better option than driving buzzed or drunk. For around ten dollars, paying for a ride home seems like the obvious choice, rather than risking an accident or getting pulled over by police. Carmel Taxi will be open on New Years Eve for patrons.
“It’s really sad sometimes that you do see taxis sitting outside a bar and nobody gets in it,” she said. “Everybody just comes out of the bar and gets in their car.”
