Long gone are the days when Charles Trillo, founder of Gold Band Taxis, would meet trains at the railway station in Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch and ‘holler’ that his were the cheapest taxis in town!
Mr Trillo founded the company in 1929, when horse drawn passenger vehicles were the norm and few families owned a private car. He started with 18 Whippets but by the mid 1930’s, when that number had reached 52, he made a radical change. In a single order, he traded in the entire fleet for 52 1935 Centre Poise Ford V8s, which were the first to be factory painted in a standard fleet colour (white).
In 1952, Mr Trillo, ready to retire, converted the company into a co-operative, owned by the drivers, and Gold Band Taxis (Christchurch) Society Limited was born!
Gold Band Taxis today
With a fleet fast approaching 200 vehicles and operating in Christchurch, Gold Band Taxis still has a few Fords on the road!
In an effort to meet all customers needs, our fleet now includes:
- Hybrids
- Sedans
- Station wagons
- Larger passenger vans and,
- Wheelchair vans.
All vehicles must pass stringent criteria test, ensuring they meet or exceed industry norms for safety standards and emission level’s. And, remaining true to the image set by Mr Trillo more than 8 decades ago, they are all white!
A long list of innovations puts Gold Band Taxis at the head of the rank in public transportation. We have continuously challenged the status quo, constantly raising our standards and developing ways to meet the changing needs of our customers.
- A standard fleet colour,
- A standard dress uniform,
- Driver name badges,
- Reflective vehicle signage,
- GPS dispatch (11 years before it became a legal requirement)
- In-house fleet inspections,
- Eftpos as standard,
- In-house driver training to improve customer service,
Gold Band Taxis tomorrow (but already available today!)
- Fully live internet booking system – you become the dispatcher,
- Real-time smart phone booking apps
- Automated phone booking systems.
Gold Band Taxis boast the first genuine real-time automated booking systems in the Christchurch taxi market, ranging from phone booking at the touch of a button to online and app booking solutions. Book us your way!
Our technology has been a huge point of difference for us over the years and we are committed to continually improving our systems to ensure we meet the needs of our valued customers.
