Bradenton's Diplomat Taxi changing hands, upgrading for SRQ airport service
MANATEE -- The taxi company that serves Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will begin upgrading its vehicles and closely monitoring its drivers over the next few months as a new owner revamps the company.
Diplomat Taxi, a 38-year-old Bradenton company, recently gained a new majority owner when Florida for-hire transportation mogul Cullan Meathe brought it under control of his company, SRQ Taxi Management. Meathe formerly owned one of the largest cab companies in Florida, Yellow Cab Service Corp. of Fort Lauderdale, according to state records.
Meathe told the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority that he plans to purchase newer vehicles to replace the current fleet of Lincoln Town Cars and other sedans driven by Diplomat drivers. Other improvements will include installing a "closest car" digital dispatch system to cut customer wait times, in-vehicle driver GPS systems and new "smart meters" that take credit cards and issue receipts.
According to airport officials, the new dispatch system will allow customers to book taxis on demand and online, much like can be done through competitor Uber. For those wanting to get a taxi the old-fashioned way, by telephone, Diplomat has purchased new local phone numbers.
The changes, particularly the new vehicles, will settle some long-running friction between the airport and the cab company. When the airport extended Diplomat's concession at SRQ in 2014, authority leadership noted that many of the cabs exceeded a contractual stipulation that they be under 10 years old.
John Schussler, SRQ's properties director, said about 40 Diplomat vehicles serve the airport. In return for the taxi concession, Diplomat pays the airport 6 cents per deplaned passenger. That amounts to about $36,000 per year.
The airport authority will extend the concession agreement to Meathe's company. The current agreement expires in 2019.
Other changes to the operation are designed to increase passenger safety. Diplomat drivers will have their driving records checked twice each month and will be required to undergo random drug and alcohol testing. Vehicles will be checked twice daily for cleanliness. Drivers will get new uniforms and ID badges.
Diplomat's longtime owner, Jorge Resendiz of Sarasota, will remain with the company and will retain partial ownership.
His stake in the company allows Diplomat to retain its status as a minority-owned business. That status qualifies the company as a disadvantaged business enterprise, or DBE. The airport has established a program to retain DBE concessionaires in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
Meathe said he plans to make the promised changes and updates at Diplomat within six months. He will also move the company's offices from their current location near Manatee Memorial Cemetery to a site closer to the airport.
Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.
This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 11:57 PM with the headline "Bradenton's Diplomat Taxi changing hands, upgrading for SRQ airport service ."