Public Gets Maximum Benefit From New Cab
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday December 10, 2008
OPERATING the first maxi cab in Wollongong is a gamble that owner Michael Zarif hopes will pay off and benefit the public.
"The public is the winner," Mr Zarif said, when explaining why he and his son John spent $50,000 to buy the maxi cab.John said he had known that Wollongong needed maxi cabs for five years. He just had to convince his "old man"."Sydney's had them forever, Queensland has them all over the place, so Wollongong needs one," he said. "There're no more five seaters, that's what it comes down to, if you have five passengers, you've got to catch two cabs. You're going to spend 120 bucks or if you're going to spend 90 bucks, that's the difference."The Zarifs' maxi cab holds up to 11 people but John and Michael do not want customers to be put off by its size. "Five people in my taxi are going to pay normal fare, like any normal taxi," Michael said. "As soon as you go more than five, you pay fare and a half, but that's only set by meter."John gave the example of 11 people travelling into Wollongong from Albion Park. He said that trip would cost $180 and take three normal cabs, compared to the $90 people would pay using a maxi taxi. He said the reaction from other taxi drivers was mainly positive."Some of them sort of look at you and snarl and say 'oh, you're taking all my fares'. I go 'no-one's stopping you. If you want to put one on, you put one on'.""They're just waiting to see. If we succeed, I guarantee within six months they'll be other guys that'll do it." So far, Michael has had three full loads of 11 from one weekend of driving. At the moment, the maxi cab operates in the Shellharbour area, but more demand may bring it further north."Obviously, we run on kilometres. The more kilometres you drive, the more money you need to show," John said.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury