If you need a taxi in Mount Pearl, it's quite likely you'll be calling Newfound Cabs. The company has struck a deal to buy Valley Cabs, and will rebrand its existing fleet of Mount Pearl-based taxis.
"I'm excited to be in Mount Pearl," said Newfound Cabs owner Albert Newell. "There's a lot of good feedback, lot of good drivers here, lot of good people in Mount Pearl."
The deal brings the number of Newfound Cabs on the road to more than 100. But Newell said buying out the competition wasn't his original plan.
He said he approached the City of St. John's about acquiring new taxi licences and growing his business there. But he said there is a fixed number of taxi licences available, and St. John's wasn't interested in adding more.
"In St. John's, there's 364 licences. Nobody else can get them." said Newell. "And they won't give you no more. They go by the volume of people that move here; they only do it every four, five, or six years."
Newell said the company he is taking over could use a shot in the arm. He intends to replace older Valley Cabs cars with newer models, and do some training with the drivers.
Valley Cabs customers can continue to call the same phone number, but the calls will be routed to the Newfound Cabs dispatch on Thorburn Road in St. John's.
When asked if he's looking to expand further into other neighbouring municipalities like Paradise or Conception Bay South, Newell played it coy.
"I'll get back to you on that. You'll be the first one I'll phone." he said.