Royal City Taxi History Page

	Company History Royal City Taxi Ltd. Is a part of New Westminster’s history. In the early 1930’s Howard Paul started Royal City Taxi Ltd. By buying two cabs from other cabbies. For the past sixty years Royal City Taxi Ltd. has grown and developed along with the city of New Westminster. In the early years, New Westminster riverfront was very active with mills and docks providing the bulk of taxi trips. From 1936, until he sold his interest in 1973, Bill Farbridge guided the growth and development of our company. Following World War II, several ex-servicemen got taxi licenses and eventually became shareholders in Royal City Taxi Ltd. As the company grew, we expanded from our original stand at Begbie and Columbia. In the early years of taxi transport there were telephones on various corners that drivers would use to call the office for their dispatch trips. Eventually the radio dispatch system arrived and Royal City Taxi Ltd. Was the first in the Lower Mainland to install such a system. Uniformed drivers were the standard in the 1940’s and 1950’s. However, with the change in society brought on by 1960’s, uniforms were out and for the next three decades drivers made their own individual fashion statements. Cars have also changed dramatically. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have all had a period when they produced the “ideal” taxi and often competition was hot to get the taxi fleet business. In 1973 a new set of changes began with the company being sold to Duart McLean who put his personal touches on the company for the next two decades. He was very forward thinking and among his accomplishments in the industry was being the first to bring a computer dispatch system and to build our present office building and maintenance facilities. Since 1991, we can see another change with the company being a widely held owner/operator type of business. The primary advantage to the public is that your driver may also own part of the company and customer service is a major part of his way of thinking. In 1998 Royal City Taxi Ltd. Made another big change, with all 46 Royal City Taxi cabs being changed to newer and cleaner vehicles, and the addition of more taxis since then.

Company History

Royal City Taxi Ltd. Is a part of New Westminster’s history. In the early 1930’s Howard Paul started Royal City Taxi Ltd. By buying two cabs from other cabbies. For the past sixty years Royal City Taxi Ltd. has grown and developed along with the city of New Westminster. In the early years, New Westminster riverfront was very active with mills and docks providing the bulk of taxi trips. From 1936, until he sold his interest in 1973, Bill Farbridge guided the growth and development of our company.

Following World War II, several ex-servicemen got taxi licenses and eventually became shareholders in Royal City Taxi Ltd. As the company grew, we expanded from our original stand at Begbie and Columbia. In the early years of taxi transport there were telephones on various corners that drivers would use to call the office for their dispatch trips. Eventually the radio dispatch system arrived and Royal City Taxi Ltd. Was the first in the Lower Mainland to install such a system. Uniformed drivers were the standard in the 1940’s and 1950’s. However, with the change in society brought on by 1960’s, uniforms were out and for the next three decades drivers made their own individual fashion statements. Cars have also changed dramatically. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have all had a period when they produced the “ideal” taxi and often competition was hot to get the taxi fleet business.

In 1973 a new set of changes began with the company being sold to Duart McLean who put his personal touches on the company for the next two decades. He was very forward thinking and among his accomplishments in the industry was being the first to bring a computer dispatch system and to build our present office building and maintenance facilities.

Since 1991, we can see another change with the company being a widely held owner/operator type of business. The primary advantage to the public is that your driver may also own part of the company and customer service is a major part of his way of thinking. In 1998 Royal City Taxi Ltd. Made another big change, with all 46 Royal City Taxi cabs being changed to newer and cleaner vehicles, and the addition of more taxis since then.