Airport taxi deal will drive UK expansion

A NEW taxi contract at Leeds Bradford Airport is set to change the way cabs are ordered by passengers at airports and train stations across the country, according to the entrepreneur behind it.

From New Year's Day Leeds businessman David Richmond's Arrow taxi business is the sole provider of cabs at Leeds Bradford Airport replacing the black and white hackney cabs.

And former Leeds United director Mr Richmond says the new operation, in which he has invested more than £1.5m, is a model which he wants to roll out around the UK.

After Leeds Bradford Airport put its taxi contract up for tender earlier this year, Mr Richmond's Horsforth-based Arrow Cars business won the five-year deal to operate it.

His fleet of more than 300 taxis will have the exclusive contract to pick up passengers from Leeds Bradford Airport and they will be the only cabs allowed to drop passengers off outside the airport terminal because of the increased security measures.

Other taxis will have to drop passengers off in the short-stay car park at the airport.

Mr Richmond has owned Arrow for the last two-and-a-half years, building the business by buying smaller taxi firms and putting them together . It currently operates 225 cabs but he says that will increase to 350 by March making it the second largest cab firm in Leeds after Amber.

He is investing more than £1m in a fleet of 100 Skoda Octavias, 30 Peugeot six-seaters and has plans to expand into the executive market with the purchase of a fleet of Audi and Mercedes cars next spring.

"I think we won the tender because of the fact that we prepared to build and man a proper office 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," said Mr Richmond.

"We have invested more than £250,000 in a new computer system just for the airport, we are buying brand, spanking new cars.

"We can roll this out across the country to airports and train stations. Nothing has been done to this scale in the country. It will change the whole industry," he said.

"When you book a car with us by mobile we text you the colour, make and model and registration number and approximately how much the fare will be.

"It gives people, especially women, the knowledge that they are getting into the correct car and knowing how much it is going to be.

"We are the first people anywhere to do that. It will raise the standards in Leeds and from a safety point of view it is huge," he added.

"Every journey can be booked over the internet and paid by credit card. The encouragement is for a driver to give a great service – opening the doors, helping with luggage – because that is the way to get a tip."

Mr Richmond, son of former Bradford City chairman Geoffrey, built up the Leeds-based printing business Scorpio before selling it.

Winning the taxi contract at Leeds Bradford Airport has meant he has had to cancel a family holiday in Mauritius this Christmas.

"I had booked 16-days on the beach there for Christmas and New Year last February – so I have had to cancel it.

"My New Year party was sitting in our taxi booking office at Leeds Bradford Airport – some people think I'm insane!"

David Richmond says that while he doesn't regret his involvement in Leeds United, it was a "costly" experience.

"I don't believe you can sensibly own a football club and live in the same city…because you are under constant pressure from supporters to do non-business decisions and it became impossible to run it sensibly.

"Being at Leeds was a mistake but I learned a great lesson about myself. You shouldn't do it as a supporter…you can't make rational decisions.

"For all the faults of that consortium – and there were many – if we hadn't bought it then forget administration, it wasn't an option, it would have gone straight into liquidation and there was no coming back.

"Financially it was a very costly experience. But you pay to learn."

Mr Richmond still attends Leeds United's home and away matches "with my pals and the kids".