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TUKTOYAKTUK - The two-way radio in Joanne Edwards' taxi crackles to life and the voice of her dispatcher reminds her of one of her fares.

"I haven't forgotten about him," says Edwards. "I thought I would get him on the way back."

Edwards laughs and apologizes to her passengers.

"There's only one taxi in town," she says.

Edwards is the owner and operator of Joanne's Taxi. She has steady work driving people around Tuktoyaktuk in her large Chevy Suburban SUV.

There are signs on the door of her vehicle that say "Joanne's Taxi" with her phone number listed underneath.

Joanne actually has three vehicles: two SUVs and a 15-passenger van, but the van is mostly contracted out for sightseeing tours.

She has been helping people get around town since 2004.

"I keep busy from early morning to late night," says Joanne as she pulls up to another house and lays on the horn to announce she has arrived.

She said she does about 16 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays she only works from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Edwards says lunch and supper are usually "a quick bite" in between trips.

Her spouse and kids help with the dispatch end of the business back at her house.

"We work together," she said.

Edwards doesn't have a meter in her cab. All her fares are based on flat rates depending on where you want to go.

She even does credit. There's a little black book next to the driver's seat with a list of names and amounts owing. She said the credit is good for elders who live on fixed incomes and have always dealt with credit at the old Hudson's Bay store.

Many of her customers are elders who are going to or from one of Tuk's two grocery stores. Edwards is quick to jump out of the vehicle to help with bags and packages.

"I always try to help people in and out as much as I can," she says.

As Edwards makes another stop a man climbs aboard the already crowded taxi and realizes that Edwards is being interviewed. He waits quietly for a pause in the conversation and then dryly says, "No comment."

Everyone in the cab erupts into laughter.

"Everybody laughs when they come in the cab," says Edwards.