CASPER, Wyo. — With Business Class Cabs, a new high-end taxi service based out of Casper, residents will be able to get luxury rides throughout the city, state and beyond.
“I was having issues getting to the airport because of this foul weather we’ve had, and just thought, ‘Why don’t I start something myself,'” company founder John Babin said. “I began looking into cost analyses to see if I could make it viable, and I realized that as long as there are people willing to pay a little more for a luxury service that could run in any condition, I could make it viable.”
The first step in making the business a reality, Babin said, was finding the right vehicles for the job. He looked at a number of different options, but eventually settled on a fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans and Jeep Gladiator Rocky Ridge Editions.
“The vans are really nice, but I thought, ‘Well, what about bad conditions?’ since that was the whole reason I decided to do this, and decided on the Jeeps too,” Babin said. “[The Jeeps] are crazy loaded. They’ve got 37-inch tires, another 4 inches of suspension and pretty aggressive winches. They’re made for anything.”
Currently, Business Class Cabs has four vehicles — two of each model — and Babin added that he’s looking to add a bigger van down the road if the business does well.
The cab company will take passengers throughout Casper and Natrona County, but it offers far more than that, Babin said.
“We offer long-distance rides. We’ll take you to Buffalo, Lander or even outside of the state,” he said. “I had a guy who needed a ride down to Denver to go pick up a foreign car, and he asked for a ride down there in one of the trucks.”
When it comes to pricing, Babin said all customers will know how much their ride will cost from the outset.
“I don’t like the shock value of not knowing how much a ride will cost until it’s over,” he said. “We tell all of our customers up front what they’ll be paying. And say for example it’s a really long trip, like taking someone down to Denver, we’ll have that amount calculated from the outset.”
To schedule a ride, people can call the company at 307-203-4405. The company will drive at any hour of the day, but bookings are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“We’re just getting started, but I think we offer something pretty special and unique,” Babin said.
