Enjoying a smooth run

KOCHI: Cab owners-cum-drivers in rural pockets and nearby districts who  find it tough to find business are making a beeline to the city for openings  with cab agencies. The cab agencies, in turn, find it profitable to tie up with individual cab  owners as it boosts their business. The trend is spreading across the city. “Though we set up cab agencies with our own cars in 1992, the business was    bad. A lot of money was spent on maintenance as most drivers are reckless. However, with cab owners attaching themselves to our  service, things have changed. They are more responsible as it is their vehicle,”  said Anil Michael who runs Vas Travels at Palarivattom. His brother Ajith Michael who runs the cab agency at Edappally agrees with   him. When they started to tie up with individual cab owners, they stopped   running their own cabs to prevent misunderstanding. “Around 25 cab owners each are attached to Vas Travels at Palarivattom and  Edappally. They give us 8 per cent of what they get. Very few have been  appointed as drivers and they are given 20 per cent incentive,” they said. Now, the business is profitable.The cab owners are also happy with the arrangement. Vijayan a cab owner-cum-driver who has attached his vehicle with Vas said, “In my native place Muvattupuzha, we only have taxi stands and no cab services. After tying up with Vas, the business has turned better.” “We have drivers from Palakkad, Idukki, Kottayam, Muvattupuzha, Koothattukulam and Thrissur. Very few are city-based. Most of the trips are to Munnar, Thekkady and heritage spots in Ernakulam,” said Anil. SRM Travels at Kaloor also functions on tie-up bases. “We have 10 cars and they all are on tie-up basis. The cab owners give 10 per cent as commission. We do employ drivers on 10 per cent incentive basis,” said Azeez who runs SRM. However, the drivers are not entrusted with tourist trips til they become familiar with the map. Cabs registering for tourist services are also rising. “Around 50 per cent  of vehicles registration is for travel agencies,” said joint transport officer Abdul Shukoor. “From April 2011 to March 2012, 495 cabs were registered for taxi services from Kakkanad,” said sources.