Decatur Expects to Resume Taxi Service in About a Month

Decatur lost its only taxi service last year.

But its city manager hopes the owner of that company can start up something new, and be ready in about a month. AOK Taxi was shut down last year, after reports of the company using an unregistered vehicle, and making unannounced changes to the company and fleet.

Decatur City Manager Ryan McCrady says company owner Anthony Walker applied for a new license on Tuesday. But Walker also asked to hold off on a recommendation to city council until he reviewed his financial plans. If he moves forward with it, McCrady says that will essentially wipe the slate clean for Walker.

"If he meets all the requirements to have a license, then there's really no sense in trying to open old wounds and bring those issues back up again," he said. "The key thing is to get a service operating in Decatur that meet the requirements of the city than our residents can safely operate in. And if Mr. Walker can do that with his new company, then that's the best case scenario for everybody."

If that doesn't happen, McCrady says offers have come in from taxi services in nearby towns. Meanwhile, Walker says he'll decide whether to follow through with his plan by next week. If that happens, Walker says he plans to raise cab fares to make them more in line to what other nearby companies charge.

"It's a service to the community, but I don't want to run this operation like the community needs it, then it doesn't need to be profitable," he said. "Because that's the wrong way I looked at it once before."

Walker says the hike in fares is needed with the rising cost in fuel. He plans to meet with local bar owners next week to discuss potential collaborations before deciding whether to move forward.