Taxis Palmerston North
Proudly driving the Palmerston North Community.
We are Palmerston North’s oldest and most community orientated passenger transport provider.
We have revitalised our image to represent the vibrant energy of our young city and our dedication to our community. At the centre of our new image is our logo. It is a representation of Palmerston North’s iconic clock tower, which stands tall in the centre of our city and lights our way each evening.
This landmark is a symbol of time. Of our past, our present and our future. As our logo it is a symbol of our taxi company’s and of our driver’s commitment to Palmerston North, and how we as a united community can move forward into the future. This is why our taxi company will be working with the local council and charities that they support. The colours that light up the tower are used to recognise these charities and are reflected in our logo. The clock is also a symbol of our dedication to working with our customers to improve the services and response we provide to them time and time again.
Our company is currently comprised of 63 vehicles, including 5 Total Mobility (Wheelchair accessible) and 4 passenger vans. We have developed and changed with the growing population of Palmerston North and Manawatu, moving along with and, at times, pioneering new technology enabling more efficient service to our customers. We offer an advanced data dispatch system, GPS tracking, eftpos in every vehicle, and a premium local call centre manned 24/7 to ensure you are always able to get a taxi when you need one.
Palmerston North Taxis is the leader in the field offering a first class service at reasonable rates. Proudly serving the Palmerston North Community for 50 years, Taxis Palmerston North’s origins and ties to Palmerston North go back nearly a century, back to the days of the horse-drawn Hansom Cabs.
The taxi industry in Palmerston North has presented many challenges over the years from competing with each other, the Government Inquiries, regulation, deregulation, mergers, restructures and fleet modernisation. Taxis Palmerston North arose out of this instability and offers a proud record of service and reliability.
Our history
Life was never meant to be easy and for cab drivers in the early half of last century this could never be truer. Drivers competed strongly against each other for trade until the ‘Butler Inquiry’ commission in 1936 investigated taxicab services in New Zealand.
The result was stability for the industry throughout New Zealand with new regulations gazetted in 1939. The New Zealand Taxi Proprietors Federation (NZTPF) was formed in 1938 and the local Manawatu Wairarapa Taxi Proprietors Association quickly followed and affiliated with the NZTPF.
Taxi owners were able to get higher quality cars and the community benefitted from the better services provided over a range of hires such as weddings. Operating a taxi now became a satisfactory way to earn a living.
By 1955 the number of licenses exceeded the business available in Palmerston North. More licenses were also being issued and a total of seven different taxi firms were competing against each other. Familiar names include Blue Band, Atta Taxis, Grey Cabs, Deluxe Taxis and ATC Taxis. Fares may have been cheap, but the local industry could not support it and survival of all was in question.
1960 saw a review into the local services by new Licensing Authority, Air Vice-Marshal Calder. A new direction was put forward for the industry to re-establish itself into not more than two companies with approved controls and rosters.
Atta and Grey Cabs merged and the rest reformed under the Blue Band name. Each company had an equal number of licensees and both cooperated to control the industry. Many owners saw the duplication in organisation of the competing trades was a waste of vehicle utilisation and attempts were made to amalgamate.
In 1963, the unification was agreed and Taxis Palmerston North was formed, with Frank Moore as the first full-time manager.
The turmoil that beset the industry did not end there with the years between 1963 and the Company taking over the PNCC Bus Services, in 1991, seeing then manager, Eric Proctor, face challenges such as a rise in public ownership of motorcars, the oil crisis, the cost of vehicles, regulation on fare fixing, insurance and two tariff fare charges.
Operating for many years at its freehold premises in Bennett Street, under Jim Walker and then Garry Hodges, Taxis Palmerston North has continued to serve the local community through improved technology and customer service.
Now operating from it’s new premises in Tremaine Avenue, Taxis Palmerston North is embracing the future with a premium fully redundant call centre dedicated to offering greater services and response times. Our new image and logo coincides with our new premises and 50-year anniversary. The clock tower is our symbol of ties to Palmerston North now and into the future, and represents our company’s and our driver’s dedication to working with local organisations and customers to improve the services we provide to them.
Dedicated to providing and improving services, the drivers of Palmerston North Taxis look forward to meeting the public needs and growing together with their community.