Green means go
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Close your eyes and think of a taxi. No, you can’t order one that way—but chances are you’re thinking of a New York City Yellow Cab or London Black Cab. What you don’t think of are New Zealand’s ubiquitous white sedans.
So when Callum Brown, CEO of the new Green Cabs fleet, was conjuring up ways to make a splash in the New Zealand taxi market, he sought a new icon.
“We’re running Kermit the Frog green, and we stand out a mile,” he says with pride.
Of course, the name Green Cabs doesn’t just refer to the fleet’s livery. All cabs are Toyota Prius hybrids, and the fleet’s expected carbon emissions are offset before the cabs even take to the road. For each of the three main centre launches, Green Cabs has planted 10,000 trees.
“Our goal this year is to plant 100,000 trees, which is way more than we need to offset our emissions,” says Callum. “We don’t want to just buy a ‘get out of jail free’ card. We want to add something to the environment.”
The company’s five-year goal is to plant one million trees with partner Trees for the Future, a US non-profit with a unique approach to the sometimes maligned practice of using trees as carbon offsets. Trees for the Future re-plants native forest and bush in developing nations, and teaches local people how to manage these resources. The trees provide valuable food and income, and habitats for native fauna to return.
Green Cab’s frog-green fleet is expanding fast. Launching in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch in quick succession, Green Cabs has proved popular beyond all expectations. With over 60 cabs in service, the company is forced to turn away up to 75% of its business, and is actively seeking more drivers and owner-operators in all centres.
The new kid on the block has ruffled some well-established players with its gutsy market entry. Callum readily admits he wanted to force change upon the entire industry.
The gambit seems to be working. A number of taxi companies are introducing hybrid vehicles; Wellington Combined Taxis is working towards CarboNZero certification; others are adopting Green Cabs’ practice of automatically dispatching the closest car, rather than the taxi that has been waiting the longest for a job.
While no doubt some of these initiatives were underway before Green Cabs rolled up, being the first cab off the rank has given them a distinct advantage—and the Kermit green helps, too.
Sat July 12, 2008 @ 05:28 PM
