MassDevelopment Awards Nearly $4.5 Million to Improve Taxi and Livery Business Competitiveness

December 31, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Kelsey Schiller, MassDevelopment, 617-694-9695 (cell)
kschiller@massdevelopment.com

MassDevelopment has awarded 85 grants totaling $4,465,619 from the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program to support 104 small businesses operating in the taxi and livery industries and two taxi and livery industry associations. The first round of the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program offers taxi and livery operators financial assistance to secure products or services that will aid in improving their competitiveness and enhancing safety capabilities in the rapidly evolving market of for-hire transportation. The grants will fund expenses including dispatch systems or other equipment, technology-enabled ride-hailing systems, safety enhancements, workforce training programs, and business consultant services, and will help industry associations fund aggregated improvements that will have a collective impact on the taxi and livery industries in Massachusetts. The Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program is funded by MassDevelopment’s allocation from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.

“I’m pleased we can target this necessary support for the taxi and livery industries which make up an important component of the Commonwealth’s comprehensive transportation network,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “These grants will support the competitiveness of the taxi and livery industries by helping them make critical adjustments to operate with the health and safety of both their workers and customers in mind.”

“MassDevelopment was tasked with using resources from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to help taxi and livery companies improve their competitiveness, and today we’re pleased to meet that mission by awarding close to $4.5 million in grants to small businesses and industry associations,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss. “These awards will assist taxi and livery operators by equipping them with the tools they need to advance their service, safety, and operational capabilities.”

The Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund was created by An Act Regulating Transportation Network Companies, which Governor Baker signed into law in August 2016 and is supported by a 20-cent assessment on every transportation network company ride in Massachusetts. One-quarter of the Fund is being designated to MassDevelopment to provide financial assistance to small businesses operating in the taxicab, livery, or hackney industries.

In August 2020, MassDevelopment announced it is using up to two-thirds of its allotment from the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to support the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program, and opened a competitive solicitation for the first round of funding. Small businesses operating in the taxi, livery, and hackney industries could apply for grants of up to $50,000, while taxi and livery industry associations could apply for grants of up to $1 million, and could direct up to $200,000 of such awards toward the purchase of marketing materials that promote the taxi and livery industries. 

The remaining one-third of MassDevelopment’s allotment from the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund is supporting the Taxi/Livery Partnership Grant Program, launched and administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in fall 2020, which is an operational subsidy program enabling municipalities, municipal entities, regional transit authorities, health and human service providers, and applicable nonprofits to expand transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses. In response to COVID-19, in April 2020 MAPC launched an early version of this program, the Urgent COVID-19 Taxicab, Livery, and Hackney Partnership Grant Program, to facilitate urgent transportation and delivery needs for vulnerable populations during the pandemic; in November 2020, MassDevelopment and MAPC awarded $1,003,978 through the program to 25 cities and towns, municipal agencies, regional transit authorities, and health and human services transportation providers.

The following businesses and organizations received funding from the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program:

• The Transportation Alliance, Inc., Statewide – $1 million
• New England Livery Association, Inc., Statewide – $1 million
• Boston Chauffeur Service Inc., Beverly – $50,000 
• 2H Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Addis Ababa Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Agaro Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Amanuel Transport Inc., Boston – $10,000
• Betty and Matty Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Charlbett Cab Inc., Boston – $19,700
• Chris and Peter Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
• DA & MU Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Dafin Inc., Boston – $19,700
• Delta Cab Inc., Boston – $42,500
• Emmanuel’s Limousine Services INC, Boston – $25,000
• Flying Carpet Cab, Inc., P. I. Cab Inc., Mona Cab Incorporated, Mobarak Cab Inc., J W Cab Incorporated & Lexington Taxi Inc., Boston – $41,300
• G Money Cab, Inc., Jo G Cab, Inc., Ralphy Taxi, Inc. & Warrior Taxi, Inc., Boston – $41,300
• Gods Will Trans Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Michael JoJo Cab, Inc., Emma Jane Cab, Inc., Joyce Cab, Inc., Loomans Cab, Inc. & Valley Taxi, Inc., Boston – $41,300
• M and Sam Inc., Boston – $15,105
• M1 Airport livery LLC, Boston – $10,000
• Melissa Cab Inc., Boston – $4,686
• Meshualekia Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Mesi And Solo Inc., Boston – $15,105
• MIC-Paul Taxi, Inc., Boston – $2,986
• Mirka Inc., Boston – $14,310
• New England Coach Services, Inc. (d/b/a LS Group), Boston – $13,148
• Next Cab Incorporated, Boston – $16,600
• Raneem Trans Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Samuel Transportation INC, Boston – $35,714
• Selam Corporation, Boston – $15,105
• Space Cab Inc., Boston – $42,500
• United Private Car Inc., Boston – $50,000
• Victorian Taxi, INC, Boston – $12,412
• Tee Flow Taxi Corp, Boston – $15,105
• Teshet Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Tremont Street Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
• Tudor Cab Inc., Boston – $50,000
• Bill's Taxi Service, Inc., Bridgewater – $50,000
• Abyssinia coach Inc., Cambridge – $46,000
• Met Boston Limo Inc., Cambridge – $23,920
• Prime Limo Services LLC, Cambridge – $37,800
• ACC Transportation Group Inc., Canton – $50,000 
• Annex Transit LLC, Chelmsford – $50,000
• Careplus Medical Transport LLC, Chelmsford – $50,000
• Boston Domestic Limo, Chelsea – $20,308
• Rollo Limousine Services, Inc., Danvers – $12,564.28
• Webb Transportation Services LLC, Danvers – $50,000 
• DPV Transportation Inc., Everett – $10,000
• Everett Car Service, Inc., Everett – $50,000
• The Drivers Transportation, LLC, Fitchburg – $29,500
• Tommy's Taxi, Inc., Framingham – $50,000
• Haverhill Taxi LLC, Haverhill – $20,000
• Town Livery Inc., Lawrence – $50,000
• Joseph's Transportation, Inc., Medford – $50,000
• ASLK Corporation, Melrose – $26,490
• Laramee & Calley, Inc. (d/b/a All Points Limousine), Millbury – $50,000
• Modern Ride, Inc., Needham – $50,000
• Nicholas Transportation, New Bedford – $3,000
• Places To Go, LLC, New Bedford – $16,000
• Dadoo Cab Inc., Jane Mary Cab Inc. & Charlie Cab Inc., Newton – $50,000
• MIR Taxi, Photo Cab, VIT Taxi, Newton – $50,000
• LAVB CAB INC, LARA CAB INC & VIKI CAB INC, Newton – $41,300
• I&V Cab, MIT Taxi, Tim Taxi, TIVI Cab, Newton – $50,000
• Michael's Limousine Co., Inc., Peabody – $30,400
• Roman Limousine, INC, Peabody – $50,000
• Total Praise Services LLC, Peabody – $8,530
• Special Occasion Limousine & Coach Inc., Plymouth – $3,026
• Shore Transit Inc., Quincy – $16,800
• Really Robin's Transportation, Raynham – $45,051
• One Transportation Group, LLC, Revere – $35,000
• Four Star Limousine Inc., Salisbury – $48,501.25
• Limo Dave Inc., Salisbury – $34,970.56
• Green Cab Co, Inc. (d/b/a Green and Yellow Cab Companies), Somerville – $50,000
• Mt Pleasant Taxi, Inc., Somerville – $24,000
• D and P Community Transportation Inc., Taunton – $15,220
• Mercedes Cab Company, Inc., Truro – $50,000
• Blackstone Valley Livery, LLC, Uxbridge – $17,389
• Airport Coach LTD, Waltham – $43,837
• C&L Air Limo Inc., Westford – $24,696
• Rides By Joanne, LLC, Westford – $20,000
• RAZ, INC., Weymouth – $50,000
• PJM Executive Car Service, Winthrop – $23,000
• Nu-Checker Inc. (d/b/a Red Cab), Worcester – $50,000
• Safeway Luxury Transportation, LCC, Worcester – $18,585
• Youth On The Move INC, Worcester – $50,000

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2020, MassDevelopment financed or managed 341 projects generating investment of more than $2.69 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are estimated to create or support 10,871 jobs and build or preserve 1,787 housing units.