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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
All three of the city's taxi companies are reporting strong business so far this summer - months after a group of Diamond Cabs drivers formed their own company, Aurora Taxi.

Lovingson Mtongwiza, marketer and driver for new cab company Aurora Taxi, left City Cab for the new company which opened last April. The taxi company is doing well and growing, the drivers said. - Thandiwe Vela/NNSL photo

While more than 10 drivers initially left Diamond Cabs to start Aurora Taxi in April, at least three drivers joined Aurora from the longest running cab company, City Cab, including shareholder Lovingson Mtongwiza.

"Our 30th driver is being certified this week," Mtongwiza said, emphasizing the new company's rapid growth.

City Cab maintains a fleet more than twice the size of Aurora Taxi, with more than 60 cars established on the street, said Dayne Anderson, City Cab general manager.

"We have an established customer base, based on 35 years of service," said Anderson, noting City Cab does not see the new company as an "immediate threat."

Despite losing a number of cab drivers to Aurora Taxi, Diamond Cabs is focusing on its future and "happy that drivers that were unhappy have gone to where they may be happy," said Cordy Yaceyko, daughter of Diamond Cabs president Ted Yaceyko.

"The changes to our company recently have been positive," she said. "Our company is now in better shape, because we're more of a team," she added, acknowledging that the company is now the smallest of the three - down to 16 drivers from about 24 since the establishment of Aurora Taxi.

"Fewer drivers is a good thing for our drivers and for the economy, because it's a slower season," Yaceyko said. "So we feel that our drivers are earning and that makes us happy."

Yaceyko said the company is "not interested in hiring people that have been in the city for two months" but is seeking more local employees to give residents an opportunity to become professional taxi drivers.

Aurora Taxi is also recruiting more drivers, with aims to have up to 60 drivers on the road by the busier winter season, said president Gailani Dawoud.

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