Hauling a hefty suitcase off the baggage-claim conveyor belt as beads of sweat trickle down your forehead. Then, sprinting to hail a familiar black-and-yellow cab. This is the typical airport experience.
But not in this city.
There is no line for a taxi. In fact, you could wait forever for a taxi to show up at Durango-La Plata County Airport. If you don’t have a friend or relative to pick you up and don’t want to rent a car, what do you do?
Fortunately, there are ways to hire a ride to town, although you might have to wait a while or make prior arrangements. A ride for a single traveler into town from the airport will cost somewhere between $25 and $35. It may seem inconvenient, but if you are patient, a car or van eventually will get to you.
Talk to the several local companies that operate pay-for-hire transportation, and they’re adamant that their services are exceptional.
Currently, Durango has one taxi company, Durango Taxi, which is a fairly new business. Having been in the business for just a few months, the company is striving to make a name for itself.
Owners Erik Johansen and Milton Williams purchased the company formerly known as Durango Transportation. They’re out to once and for all stifle the perception that taxis don’t exist in Durango.
Along with transporting customers around town, Durango Taxi has taken the responsibility of providing a taxi service for all La Plata County and part of San Juan County, Colo., 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We are required to show up if you call,” said Williams, citing a state Public Utilities Commission rule. “We’ve got to figure out how to get a vehicle to you, and we have to do it in a timely manner.”
Although Durango Taxi is the only true “taxi,” there are other prominent car-transportation services available in the area.
Taxis and other transportation services follow different rules. Taxis, for example, are allowed to wait at airports and hotels for unscheduled riders, while it is illegal for a pre-chartered luxury limousine service to do so.
Animas Transportation, which falls under the rules of a luxury limousine, provides a call-and-demand reservation service. Upon reservation, the company guarantees that it will show up promptly to pick up the client. The rates vary depending on the number of people being picked up and the final destination.
So how long does a potential passenger have to wait if an impromptu call is made? John Nadolny, manager of Animas Transportation, said if a car is available, they will respond immediately.
“Nine times out of 10 we can massage the schedule and make it work,” he said. “But there is that 10th time where we can’t.”
Nadolny also sits on the Durango-La Plata County Airport Commission and said he’s well aware of the lack of transportation at the airport.
Occasionally, customers have frustrations regarding a lack of immediate availability. Animas Transportation finds that because of the inconsistency of visitors needing a taxi, it is not worth circling the airport all day long. The company has managed to make do by posting a hotline sign inside the airport baggage claim. It also doesn’t hurt that it actively keeps an eye on the airport’s flight schedule.
Dave Galus, who manages Buckhorn Limousine Service, shines a brighter light on the situation. His rather optimistic view and 11 years of experience in the industry provide a different perspective.
Galus believes the idea that there is a lack of transportation is simply false.
“I think that the market is saturated for a town like this,” Galus said. “Nine years ago, there were only three cars in town; we’ve essentially doubled the number of cars on the street.”
Kip Turner, Durango-La Plata County Airport’s director of aviation, has experienced some passenger complaints regarding insufficient taxi service.
“I would like to see our taxi service improve here at the airport,” he said. “We are actually working on some things to try to do that now.”
Larger corporations have figured out alternative methods of transporting business commuters to and from town. Marie Rotter, corporate communications director for Mercury, which employs about 400 people in Durango, said her company has worked out a deal with the Holiday Inn. The hotel provides special package deals that include an airport shuttle to transport the employees where they need to go. Whether it’s to the Mercury office, the hotel or the airport, the shuttle is always available.
Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District, said more transportation is always better – not just at the airport, but also into the heart of Durango.
He also said the city does an excellent job in providing public transportation. The free trolley has been a good resource, especially during tourist seasons. Though the trolley has its limitations, that’s where the other transportation services come into play, Walsworth said.
The local transportation services said they are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses in a financially strained business. At times, they’ve even had to use competitors’ resources to ensure no customer is left stranded. Having the competitors’ direct dispatch numbers at hand, they are just a call away in case they need a helping hand.
“We work together – they help us out, we help them out,” Williams said.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
Whom to call
Three local companies provide transportation for hire. All will take you to various places in the area, including to and from Durango-La Plata County Airport:
Animas Transportation: (970) 259-1315.
Buckhorn Limousine: (970) 769-0933.
Durango Taxi: (970) 259-4818.
