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AARON SHAROCKMANFor those customers who have suffered long waits for cabs from Tampa and Clearwater, fear no more.
OLDSMAR - Tom Smith has heard the horror stories.
Someone who finished shopping at the Tampa Road Wal-Mart calls for a taxicab. Two hours later, they're still at Wal-Mart, waiting.
"If it's busy, the person may never get a cab," said Smith, 52, and a Hillsborough County taxi driver since 1973.
Smith plans to open his own cab company in Oldsmar in August to meet the area's demands. Starting with one car, Smith said his fleet will number five, in time for the opening of Tampa Bay Downs by December. Eventually, he said the company will have 10 cabs.
"These cabs will be based in Oldsmar," said Smith, the vice president of Oldsmar Transportation Inc. "There's certainly a market for it."
When taxicab drivers in Clearwater and Tampa are busy making runs either to the beach or a place like Ybor City, they are unwilling to drive 20 minutes for a fare in Oldsmar, Smith said. Customers in Oldsmar are often left waiting hours for a ride, if one shows up at all, he said.
Smith's taxi company will be based on Bayview Boulevard in Oldsmar near Tampa Road. City Council members unanimously approved his taxicab license, the city's first, at a meeting last week.
A taxicab driver for more than 30 years, Smith was working in western Hillsborough County. In the future, he plans to cover western Hillsborough and Oldsmar, he said.
Beginning Aug. 1, passengers will be able to reach Smith's operation by calling (727) 422-8294 (422-TAXI). Currently, that number has a message inviting prospective fares to call back then.
In the meantime, Smith said he will continue to operate primarily in Hillsborough, though he will be available if someone happens to hail his cab when he's driving in Oldsmar.
Kevin Gartland, the president of the Oldsmar/Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the addition of a local taxicab company is further evidence of the area's growth. Gartland said the service complements the city's burgeoning hotel business.
Two brand-name hotels have recently opened, a third is being built and a fourth is in development, Gartland said.
"It adds to what we've seen over the last couple years," Gartland said Tuesday. "With the addition of the hotels, you have a lot more travelers here that may or may not have their own transportation. There is a demand for taxi service here."
The wait for a cab has been so long that at times the owner of the Oldsmar Holiday Inn Express has considered opening his own taxi company, said general manager Renee Silverman. The addition of Smith's service to the area is welcome news, Silverman said.
"It will be advantageous for our guests," she said. "They will no longer have to wait for service. It's the not the easiest to get a taxi out here."
Smith has operating licenses in both counties, meaning he can pick up passengers on either side of Racetrack Road. Oldsmar will not regulate Smith's company. But because he also has a Hillsborough County permit, he will have to follow that county's taxi regulations, which include a background check for all drivers.
"Oldsmar has never dealt with anything like this. They don't have the regulations," Smith said. "I volunteered to follow Hillsborough's guidelines because I want to make sure I know who's driving the cab."
To start, that will be just him.
- Aaron Sharockman can be reached at 727 771-4303 or asharockman@sptimes.com