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Warkworth Taxi has a new manager with a familiar face.
Ian Davies was born in Warkworth, brought up in Leigh and has been a volunteer firefighter for 36 years. Now Warkworth’s chief fire officer, he has seen plenty of changes.
“The gear these days is so superior, compared to the 1970s,” Ian says.
“It would have to be 80 per cent better at protecting you. The cylinders are much lighter and we are contactable by pagers and even smart phones now.”
Warkworth Fire Station has 28 volunteers contributing to the 8300 volunteer firefighters operating nationally. The Warkworth station is also a busy one with over 300 calls per year. That means they get funding for equipment and get new trucks every five years.
Ian has always been involved in the transport industry, having worked for Gubbs Motors for 34 years. He started as a driver then branched out into tour driving and finally management. Despite running a private transport company, Ian believes better services are needed in Warkworth.
“We’ve fallen behind the times. Now we are a part of Auckland we should have public transport going all over the place. We have the population.”
Warkworth Taxi has 15 drivers and is able to transport people with special needs with two wheelchair-capable mobility vans. Aside from the usual taxi services, they also offer airport runs and are ACC accredited to ferry people around who are unable to drive. Seniors with a Total Mobility Card also get half price taxi fares.
Ian carries his philosophy of safety within the fire brigade over to his taxi business.
“It doesn’t matter what you are doing, safety is key. You’ve got to get your workers home safe at the end of the night so they can see their families.”
