So, welcome to our blog. Hopefully, by reading this you’ll get an idea of what we do, and of the day-to-day trials and tribulations we face while running a small Taxi and Tour Company in rural Scotland.
With the recent relaxation of Covid rules, the last few weeks have been pretty hectic.
The Taxi side of the business has really taken off, lots of hillwalkers being ferried to starting and finishing points and people generally taking advantage of all the outdoor action Scotland has to offer. We love this part of the job, meeting like-minded folks who regale us with tales of their adventures. They all seem very pleased to see our cars waiting for them, and we always carry plenty of water to ensure they can rehydrate before they hit the local pubs and hotels to relax and celebrate their day’s achievements.
Ben Lawers is still the favorite.
Our other Taxi work consists of ferrying visitors into and out of the village to dine out or enjoy a few social beers. It’s been great to see tourists returning to the area in numbers, which local businesses, including saltireprivatehire.uk, have been eagerly awaiting. It’s been a difficult year for many small businesses in the area, some have had almost no revenue for over a year and have walked a financial tightrope for months. This is a chance for them to get back on an even keel, so please try your best to support local businesses while you visit this beautiful part of Scotland.
Our rescue work with the AA, RAC, and multiple insurance companies is booming due to the volume of vehicles taking to the roads. A notable incident took place on Sunday. I was caught in a traffic queue on Glen Ogle and whilst sitting wondering what was causing the hold up I got a text message from Coomball, our other driver, advising of a RTA further up the road. This was a nightmare scenario for me as I had to get to Crianlarich to pick up a passenger getting off the Fort William bus en route to Crieff. If the road didn’t reopen soon it would mean a 2-hour detour around Loch Lomond to get to Crianlarich 13 miles ahead. I tried to phone the passenger heading to Crianlarich but got no answer, I can only assume his phone was on silent on the bus journey. Panic was setting in, the last thing we want to do is let down a customer and it was looking likely. Inside the car was hot and I was getting uptight about the situation.
Just as I was resigning myself to an epic fail I received another text, the situation up ahead was resolved and traffic would be moving again shortly. Once on the move, I could see what the issue had been. Lying at the side of the road was the blackened shell of what had once been a car, surrounded by fire service personnel who’d just dealt with the blaze. Nothing was left of the car but burnt metal – the tyres and windows were completely gone. Standing further along the road were what I guessed were the occupiers of the car, they looked stunned. I really felt for them having been involved in a similar situation many years ago. Anyway, I now had to get on with getting on and try to get to Crianlarich to pick up what I thought was going to be a possibly angry customer. The phone then rang and it was the potential Mr. Angry telling me his bus was delayed and he wouldn’t be arriving till a bit later, what a relief. I picked him up a very happy man.
Now the twist to this little tale.
Whilst on the journey to Crieff the phone rang again, I was being asked if I could rescue the family involved in the car fire from the roadside and get them safely back home to the Central Belt. I quickly explained to the dispatcher I knew exactly where they were and would have someone with them as quickly as possible. I then phoned my other driver and he was soon on his way to the rescue, but only after he got changed out of his Fireman’s kit and washed his face to remove the soot from the roadside car fire he’d just dealt with.
Coomball, yer some man, two rescues of the same family in one day!
On another note, we’ve been having to deal with fraudulent clicks on our Google ad campaign and nuisance phone calls. Up to 569 fraudulent clicks in one 48 hour period alone and in a 2 hour period 134 telephone calls from a withheld number whilst trying to transport passengers. The passengers were psychiatric nurses and whilst shocked that someone would behave like that they suggested that whoever was doing this probably had some form of mental illness and should perhaps be pitied. However, I am struggling to feel sympathetic.
More on this next time. I’ve got to go, another roadside rescue beckons, a cyclist has come off his bike on the South Loch Tay Road… There’s more to this job than driving people for their messages…
