The South Hams taxi service for whom no journey is too far

Having worked for other taxi companies, Harris Richardson knew that he wanted to deliver a service that went to the next level. Here, he explains how HR Taxis came about and what makes them different to other taxi services operating across Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Dartmouth, Modbury, Ivybridge and the rest of the South Hams…

How did HR Taxis start?

I started a different taxi company, which was a partnership and we did really well. However, eventually I wanted to run my own company so this year I started HR Taxis. It’s a very new company, but it’s started really well and I already have a good local customer base thanks to personal recommendations.

What do you do?

We are a reliable private hire and hackney carriage taxi company. We can take up to eight people, and we work across Salcombe, Dartmouth, Modbury, Ivybridge and the rest of the South Hams area. We always go out of our way to make sure customers are happy, and try to accommodate everyone. If I can’t do a job for one of my clients for whatever reason, I will always try to sort out another taxi for them. I have nice relationships with the other taxi drivers in the area and we help one another out, which is great.

Have you always been based in the South Hams?

I was originally from Dartmouth and I moved to Tiverton for a bit, but I came here about eight years ago, met my partner and now we have a great family and are completely settled in the area.

What are people surprised about when working with you?

I’m only 30, so I think a lot of people don’t expect me to have my own business or as much experience as I have. They’re also surprised by the extent of the service we offer and the quality of the vehicles. We can do anything from a trip to the shops to a long distance journey. If you want to go to Scotland, I will take you. We recently helped someone on a trip to Norfolk, for example.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I am really taking time to enjoy working for myself and on my own. I had a business partner before and I am enjoying being a smaller entity. I aim to grow the business to include perhaps one or two other cars, but my focus is on keeping the service up to a high standard and making sure customers are looked after.

When you employ other drivers the dynamic changes, because if it’s not their company they don’t have the same level of investment in the job. I always like to keep the taxis nicely presented; there’s nothing worse than getting into a dirty taxi that smells musty because you picked someone up from a night out the evening before.

The car gets washed multiple times a week, especially in the winter months. My partner has a great eye for detail and she makes sure the interior looks brand new every time it goes out.

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