Deluxe taxi service reaches customers

     By Sean DeFrank
     View staff writer
      At first glance at Deluxe Taxicab Service's vehicles, many people mistake the plush-looking, gray-and-white Lincoln Towncars as extravagant and unaffordable.
      But owner Rick Flaven said that couldn't be further from the truth.
      "Most people, when they take our taxis, think they cost more because they're Lincoln Towncars," Flaven said. "When they find out they're the same price they're shocked."
      Flaven and his fleet of four have been serving the Henderson and Boulder City areas since Oct. 1. The Nevada Taxicab Authority agreed with Flaven's claim that the region was not being served ably prior to Deluxe's arrival and granted him a license which permits him to provide local transportation within Henderson and Boulder City and into Las Vegas, but not from the Las Vegas area.
      With 2,478 trips during the business' first month, transporting an estimated 6,000 passengers, Flaven said the response to his company has exceeded even his expectations.
      "I understand there was only two taxis stationed out here from another company (prior to Oct. 1)," he said. "You've got 160,000 residents alone just in Henderson. The revenue is there. We had 6,000 passengers in the first month and nobody even knows we're here."
      Flaven, a Henderson resident since 1980, worked for the Taxicab Authority for six years before launching Deluxe Taxicab Service. In keeping with the upscale look he is trying to project with his cabs, even Flaven's drivers are outfitted in shirts and ties for a more professional image.
      Besides looking good, Flaven said he is placing a major emphasis on service. Ray Hugues, a valet at The Reserve Hotel/Casino, said he has noticed a response time of five to 10 minutes for Flaven's cabs, as opposed to 20 minutes or longer for other taxi companies.
      "This guy's taxis are fast," Hugues said. "The other ones are slow to respond. When people call a cab, if they're in a hurry to get to the airport, they've got to get to the airport. I've had people wait here for 45 minutes to get a taxi. This guy here is fast."
      While Flaven's cabs may be fast, the process which finally allowed him to get on the road was not. Flaven said he began trying to launch his company in November 1995. In receiving his license, Flaven agreed to a number of conditions which have initially limited his business.
      "I've got to prove myself in two years that there's a need out here," he said. "This has been a three-year battle. É There's a need out here and it could be a strong business."
      Flaven must have one cab running 12 hours a day in Boulder City within six months of operations, must provide a handicapped-accessible vehicle by April and is limited to serving locations no further north than Sunset Road until July 1, 2000. He must also report to the authority every six months, beginning July 1, and must provide monthly trip sheet reports to the authority beginning in January.
      Flaven must fulfill all these requirements just to refile for a permanent permit by July 1, 2000. While Flaven said he has spent in excess of $100,000, excluding automobiles, to launch his company, he is not pleased with the amount of red tape being generated by the authority.
      "I am in an ongoing battle with the state," he said. "They want to go over everything with a magnifying glass and I have to open up all my records. That's baloney. I don't think it's right."
      While Flaven is currently limited by the state to operating four cabs, he said he would eventually like to expand to 10 cars.
      "This isn't an area where you could just throw 10 (taxis) out," Flaven said. "You've got to build it. We're pulling and pushing the schedules trying to figure out what Henderson needs. But we will need the 10. There's no doubt about it. É If people ask for it, they can get it."
      Those interested can reach Deluxe Taxicab Service at 568-7700.