TAXI!
TheCAB was a broken-down company when Howard Higa bought it, but today it is the No. 1 taxi company in Hawaii. And he’s done it with innovations that are getting national attention. Take a ride on the road to success with Howard M. Higa, president of TheCAB.
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time to spare.”
TheCAB was the first to use digital dispatching.
“Today there’s no yammering on radio calls between dispatcher and drivers to bid out a fare,” he says. “Each car has a computer, and there is efficient communications with no down time.”
What other innovations has TheCAB introduced to Oahu?
Higa boasts about the cutting-edge marketing his company employs. These are marks of distinction that keep him ahead of the pack.
“All our drivers have in-car credit card processing on their computers. We also originated CabBux, a prepaid cash card used for taxi fare. These are especially useful for younger- and older-generation passengers who want the security and convenience of a cashless transaction,” he explains.
“My daughter Shannon (Higa) started CabBux and even developed the software for it. We are beta testing in Hawaii, but hope to roll it out nationally. There has been great response to CabBux, and it has brought us added busi ness.
“There are about 100 to 150 uses of CabBux a day. And there are over 300 credit card transactions a day. We’ve become an increasingly cash-less society,” he says.
Daughter Shannon works with her dad at TheCAB. Her older sisters are Lisa Higa, an attorney in San Francisco, and Rhonda Fauria, a Boston housewife with four children. Mary, Higa’s wife of 40 years, is his college sweetheart.
Shannon is responsible for creating and producing the Frank DeLima TV commercials that have tripled TheCAB’s business and promoted its 422-2222 phone number.
Among TheCAB’s fleet are ramp-equipped Ford Windstar vans to provide accessible taxi service to physically impaired persons. Higa sees this service as the most promising niche for growth as boomers reach their senior years. He already gets about 100 calls a day from the government-contracted HandiVan service that uses TheCAB for overflow orders.
In Higa’s passion to help people while filling an essential need, he already is thinking about an inter-island air and ground transfer service called CABAir. This would serve healthcare patients who make trips to Honolulu for medical treatments or procedures, such as dialysis or cardiac care.
“It would provide a seamless transport service using small aircraft and ramp-equipped vans,” Higa explains.
This brings up another point of discussion that puts Higa on his soapbox.
“No one pays attention to this industry,” he says about the oft-overlooked and much maligned taxi sector. “Yet we’re a lifeline in this community. We offer islandwide taxi service 24-7. State and federal government can’t afford to do that. We pay high taxes, huge insurance fees, and are highly regulated. We get no subsidies for this, nor am I asking for any. It’s our risk and our money to make sure we can survive in tough economic times and provide a vital service to citizens.
“We get 650 calls during the graveyard shift between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. These are not drinkers out having fun. These are people who work at hotels or late-night establishments who need a way to get home after a work shift. There are no buses running at 3 o’clock in the morning. We are there to transport them safely,” he says.
But the industry is not without its challenges.
“The biggest issue is crime,” Higa asserts. “Cab drivers are vulnerable because they carry cash.”
Oahu’s largest taxi company is pushing for more safety measures for its drivers on the heels of the latest attack on a cab driver. This month it is sponsoring a safety seminar for all cab drivers, presented by the Honolulu Police Department.
As we turn the corner in our conversation, we ask Higa to reflect on the evolution and growth of TheCAB.
“I always look at business as a 10-year venture,” he says. “I don’t want to start anything if I can’t finish it. One has to be prepared to spend at least 10 years to figure out a new business completely. It is a continuing process. If you can dodge the bullet in 10 years, hey, you’re good for the long haul.”
Spoken like a true driver of dreams. Now that Higa has reached his destination, he can step off the gas and relax a bit. Could be time to sit back and enjoy the ride.
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