Exclusive airport cab deal begins

Blue and white cars from Associated Cabs dominated the Calgary International Airport Monday as a new contract came into effect handing the taxi company exclusive pickup status.

Associated Cab signed a six-year deal with the airport authority giving its vehicles the sole right to pick up passengers, except in the case of pre-arranged fares.

Airport officials plan to set up a special area where other cab companies can do these pickups and drop-offs.

"There will definitely be a transition period for all other cab companies that currently operate out of YYC," said Jody Moseley, director of corporate communications and marketing for the airport authority.

"There will be a period of adjustment of course. I think that what we are going to do is contact them as soon as possible to let them know where we will be staging them."

Competitors steamed

Several of Associated Cab's competitors held a protest rally last week against the exclusive deal, arguing that it's unfair to give one company a virtual monopoly on airport business.

The head of Checker Cabs, the city's second largest cab company emphasized that his drivers can still go to the airport, despite the new arrangement.

"We want to be able to let our customers know that our regular Checker users that you know what, we can still take you to the airport and we can still pick up our customers at the airport," said Kurt Enders, vice-president of Checker Cabs, on Monday.

"Things will change. We cannot park along the curbside but we are still able to service the airport to and from."