Gina Cribb and Wayne Burns have been the owners of Ruapehu Taxis for Three and a half years now, having first opened on the 1st of December 2006.
The idea to start Ruapehu Taxis for them came about after they were in a major motor vehicle accident that left them both with limited employment options. Gina says that "We had to look outside the square and when we heard a whisper that the taxi business was for sale we knew we had found our niche". "We both enjoy driving and working with people is a passion for both of us"
After the crash Gina had a fear of driving, but knowing they both enjoyed driving she got over her fear and in her words "I had to get in the car and finish my journey" Becoming a taxi driver helped her get back into driving and kept her love for driving alive.
Gina and Wayne's job involves them being classified as professional drivers. They need to have the appropriate driver's licences along with thorough Police checks and annual medical reports. They also need to ensure that they maintain safe driving practices at all times and remain courteous and friendly.
Gina believes that they are the frontline to Taumarunui, "We often are the first people to meet new visitors to our town"
"We have a large client base of elderly people who appreciate the extra service we provide in helping them to their doors, carrying groceries, picking them up for appointments and returning them safely".
Ruapehu Taxis also offer a number of additional services such as 'woman alone service' which ensures that they will see women traveling home alone safely through their front doors before leaving, there is also the 'Dial a driver' service where they can take you and your vehicle home safely if you are unable to drive or have been out on the town for the night.
Ruapehu Taxis working hours are seven days a week from 7am to 7pm normally but they stay operating till the hotel, chartered clubs and booked functions have finished for the night.
Gina says "The best part about the job is meeting new people everyday and that each day is different and each person we meet has a different story to tell. We both love meeting people and Wayne is definitely the prankster of the business and people warm to his fun approach".
Gina is Taumarunui born and bred. Both Wayne and Gina are passionate about the town of Taumarunui, she has a lot of history within her family here that goes all the way back to Alexander and Katarina Bell. They are passionate about the place because, Gina says "That Taumarunui is a good place to bring up your family and believes Taumarunui has a beautiful spirit"
The taxi business is well known and well established now so Gina and Wayne have decided to branch out into the King Country Tours."Our goal is to bring people to Taumarunui to stay for more than one night by showing them what our town and region has to offer. We are working collaboratively with other local Tourism Operators and looking at the many opportunities in front of us. We would like to work further on developing the King Country Tours arm of our business.
In 2009, we enjoyed being involved in the first ever Arts, Food, Wine and Music Festival and look forward to being involved again in March 2011. We also take tours to shows and events. One of he highlights was the tour we accompanied to hear Dame Malvina Major sing in Taupo. We had a great time"
