Whether Montgomery County’s largest taxi company can become a co-op as part of a bankruptcy restructuring is a plan on which the county is still waiting.
In a letter to customers on its Web site, Barwood Inc. indicates the business will change dramatically when drivers can purchase their own vehicles and essentially “operate their own transportation service.”
The motivation is to retain more drivers, which company spokesman Charles Maier told The Examiner has become an ever-expanding problem as background check requirements have been progressively strengthened at the county and state level.
The problem, though, is that the arrangement does not have guaranteed approval by county officials.
Nancy Kutz, manager of taxicab regulations, said to her knowledge, 43-year-old Barwood still operates “as they always have,” with 360 passenger vehicle licenses currently in usage.
“They have talked about a co-op, but we’re waiting on a plan from them,” she said Wednesday. “They haven’t given us details, and we won’t know them until they do file a plan.”
Besides Barwood, only three other taxi companies are licensed to operate in Montgomery. The next largest, Regency Cab Company, has about 100 cars licensed to its credit, showing how much of a dominance Barwood has had over the competition. The company’s letter to the public promises to maintain excellent customer service.
“There is not need to worry,” chief executive officer Lee Barnes writes. “We fully intend to be in business for a long time.”
