Local Taxi Company Giving Uber a Fight

It’s been almost a year since Uber came to the valley.

Taxi companies across the nation are struggling to compete with the ride sharing app.

Uber launched last May and since their arrival, a lot of taxi businesses have taken a hit.

F–M Taxi Services says its online booking and mobile app is what’s helping keep them afloat.

“They are stealing from us,” says F–M Taxi Services co-founder Abdoulie Barry.

Barry is not happy about how Uber has been running with fewer regulations.

F–M Taxi Services has been around since 2012 and says that they pay commercial insurance, city, state and federal taxes.

They say the ride-sharing app company don’t have to pay these fees.

Barry doesn’t think it is fair that the city isn’t cracking down on this transportation service.

Barry explains, “We don’t increase our price when it comes to peak hours. Our prices are city regulated. We use a meter. Simple. It doesn’t matter if it’s a busy day or crazy day, all prices are the same.”

F–M Taxi Services also has an app just like Uber, where people can use to connect with a cab.

Through the Gata Hub app, you can still hail taxis without having to enter your credit card information.

Barry says what sets them most apart is their care for their customer’s safety.

He adds, “We know who picks you up and where you are dropped off, in case something happens. With Uber, no one knows who’s picking you up. So that’s our difference.”

Competition with other taxi companies is firing up.

But with this friendly user app, you can pay cash or card, which is turning up the heat.

“I think it’s a lot easier. I’ve had people who used it and they’re just punching in on the phone and then they know. They don’t even have to talk to you on the phone,” says F-M Taxi Services driver Melissa Johnson.

Johnson is a Fargo native and has been a taxi driver for 15 years.

She knows the area so well; you won’t see her using a GPS.

She’s able to drive her customers from point A to point B with a friendly touch.

“I talk to them personally so they actually like that. I get repeat customers because I hand out my card and they call me,” says Johnson.

The Gata Hub app partners with many taxi companies across the nation, making it easy for users to connect with a cab wherever.

For more information on the app, click here.

To book online, click here.