Intriguing piece in the Boston Globe over the weekend about how something is changing at Logan Airport there.
Taxis are making a comeback.
According to the story, “Nearly a dozen travelers told the Globe recently they found cabs less expensive, more convenient, and more reliable than ride shares. And they liked that cabs typically don’t charge ‘surge pricing,’ where prices jump during high-demand times.”
The story goes on: “While still well below pre-pandemic levels, taxi pickups at Logan have climbed steadily since hitting bottom in 2020, according to Logan operator, the Massachusetts Port Authority. In 2023, taxis logged more than 1 million pickups at the airport, up 5 percent from the year before but nearly double from 2021. That upswing stands in sharp contrast to the trend pre-pandemic, when taxi ridership fell to about 1.5 million airport pickups in 2019 from nearly 2 million in 2017.
“Ride shares, to be sure, remain far more popular than taxis, with the airport seeing nearly 3.6 million ride share pickups last year. Not only were those higher than in 2022, but above pre-pandemic figures, as well.”
KC’s View:
One of the problems that taxis face, it seems to me, is that they exist in a fragmented industry – there are lots of operators and drivers, and they don’t really work together as an industry in a consumer-facing way. Uber and Lyft, on the other hand, have a more cohesive and coordinated narrative. And, the rides can be a lot more pleasant, in nicer cars.
But if the people and companies in the taxi business could tell their story more effectively, speaking with one compelling voice, they could start to erode the market share gains made by the ride share companies.
Narrative matters. Consistency matters. For the taxi business, and for every shopper-centric business.
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