Yellowknife (May 21/03) - Yellowknife will have at least 20 more cabs on the road this weekend.

And up to 40 more by summer, say the owners of Somba K'e Cabs and Yellowknife Cabs.

Newly launched, Somba K'e will start up Friday with at least 10 cars and will add more later, said owner Cordilee Yaceyko.

And Yellowknife Cabs, recently pulled off the road by the city, will be back in service by the weekend as well, said owner John Dalton.

Yaceyko said competing for business isn't a worry for the new firm.

The company sees instead a "service shortfall" for taxi users in the city, particularly at the airport, she said.

"I work at the airport and when planes come in I've seen people wait 30 minutes for a cab and finally rent a car instead," she said.

The Yaceyko family has been involved in the car rental business in Yellowknife since 1968.

"We've looked very closely at the taxi market and at this point we are projecting having 25 to 30 cars on the road by this winter."

The firm has invested about $150,000 in vehicles so far, she said.

Manager Bill Slade said finding experienced drivers hasn't been a problem.

The company also plans to mount a charter service with 15-passenger vans by summer.

Meanwhile, Yellowknife Cabs owner John Dalton said his company will be back on the road this week with the minimum 10 cars required by the city for a licence.

The company's operating licence wasn't renewed at the end of March as it failed to meet that requirement.

When it continued operating, the firm was charged with operating without a brokerage licence, fined $1,800 and ordered to cease operations.

Dalton said the company had the required 10 cars but several were out of service for painting.

He blamed the city for over-reacting, putting drivers out of work while he was in the process of complying.

"We will definitely be back in business this week," he said Monday.

The company also plans to launch an "executive service" this summer, he said, but wouldn't reveal details.

"We'll announce it when we roll out the new service."