Press Releases

• Working with Langley Air Force Base AADD, May 2010
• Taxis Going Pink for Breast Cancer, May 2010
• Going Green, February 2010

May 26, 2010 -- Hampton, VA

See the full article here!

by Airman 1st Class Jason J. Brown
633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs

5/26/2010 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- The summer season is here, drawing Langley's Airmen out of the house and into the Hampton Roads culture and nightlife, enjoying the sight and sounds of a "Seven Cities" summer. However, sometimes the party goes overboard, giving intoxicated drivers the opportunity to make a potentially fatal mistake.

Thanks to Langley's Airmen Against Drunk Driving program and Yellow Cab of Hampton, there is no excuse to drink and drive.

AADD offers rides for intoxicated Airmen and dependents while in the peninsula area. The program operates with the help of volunteers that standby for calls, waiting to pick up passengers who have had too much to drink. Drivers volunteer for holiday weekend shifts, such as Memorial Day and Independence Day, when more people are out enjoying the festivities.

However, bars, clubs and restaurants are open year round, and people often venture beyond the peninsula for nightlife hot spots, such as Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc.'s YCH steps in to bring Airmen and family members home safely.

The service, called "Safe Ride Home," is part of the first sergeants' Diamond Ride program. Yellow Cab drivers are on-call, ready to provide service to eligible passengers. The first sergeants and the taxi company formed the partnership in 1992, and have provided hundreds of rides over the years, said Frank Azzalina, YCH director of business development.

"Don't plan to fail," remarked Tech. Sgt. Leon Johnson, AADD vice president. "Between our drivers and Yellow Cab, our Airmen always have a way home. At no point does anyone need to get behind the wheel when they've been drinking."

To use the service, Airmen and dependents should follow these steps:

1. Call dispatch at 855-0000.
2. Provide the account number, #1119.
3. Show military identification card to driver of cab.
4. Print your name and sign the provided form.

Even if a passenger doesn't have enough money to cover the fare, Safe Ride Home uses a "ride now, pay later" system, using payroll deductions to cover the cost of the ride.

"We know sometimes money gets tight, especially for younger Airmen," said Johnson. "There's nothing more important than getting our people back safely, that's why we have the deferred payment system."

In addition to late-night bar and club pick-ups, Safe Ride Home also assists stranded motorists.

"Of course you can use it when you had a bit too much to drink, but we have many pickups that are for cars breaking down, flat tires, stuck somewhere without money," Azzalina said. "We have and will continue to pick up Langley personnel wherever they may be."

AADD will offer Memorial Day weekend service May 27-30, from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. For pick up during these times, call 855-1111 or 855-3333. Airmen interested in volunteering can e-mail Tech. Sgt. Leon Johnson at leon.johnson@langley.af.mil. Eight volunteers, four males and four females, are needed for each of two shifts, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., and 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Taxi Cabs to go Pink for Breast Cancer

(Hampton Roads, VA) - Norfolk Checker Taxi, Black and White Cabs of Norfolk, Yellow Cab of Newport News, Yellow Cab of Hampton, and Black and White Cabs of Virginia Beach are all painting at least one of their taxis pink for the month of October to raise awareness and funds in the fight against breast cancer.

The taxi companies’ spokesperson, Frank Azzalina, says the companies have received permission from local authorities to paint the vehicles pink for the month of October. The companies will donate $1 for each fare generated by the vehicles to an organization fighting breast cancer. There is no additional cost to passengers. Drivers are not agents or employees of the companies and therefore cannot accept donations from the passengers for the companies.

Azzalina will announce the organization(s) that will receive the money raised at the end of the month.

“This is a way for us to use our presence on the road each day to raise some awareness, and help raise some money,” Azzalina says, “I’ll bet if you polled 10 people, you find every one of them knows someone who has fought breast cancer. So we all need to get into this fight.”

The idea of vehicles “going pink” is being spearheaded by the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) an international association of for-hire vehicle fleet owners representing 1,100 companies.

None of the money raised goes to the TLPA, since the entire project is ultimately driven and managed at the grassroots level by each member company working within its hometown community.

February 15, 2010 -- Hampton Roads, VA

Several local cab companies: Black and White Cabs of Virginia Beach, Black and White Cabs of Norfolk, Norfolk Checker Taxi, Yellow Cab of Norfolk, Yellow Cab of Newport News and Yellow Cab of Hampton announce a partnership with NuRide, Inc., a national program that encourages drivers to carpool, bike, walk, take public transportation, or telecommute instead of commuting alone in their cars.

The cab companies are sponsoring the program by rewarding NuRiders with a $5 PrePaid Taxi Card for purchasing $50.00 worth of PrePaid Taxi Cards.

To participate in the program, commuters register online at www.nuride.com for free. They log points for every “green” trip taken. With a certain number of points, they can earn rewards—in the form of discounts from local restaurants, retailers and attractions.

The taxi cab companies sponsorship of NuRide is another step in a series of green initiatives taken by the companies in recent years.

To date NuRide, based in Connecticut, has about 3,000 Hampton Roads participants and 17 local sponsors like Farm Fresh and Taste Unlimited.

The cab companies that are participating are full service transportation companies with over 165 year's experience collectively. They offer safe, reliable service to consumers, corporations, government and military agencies as well as tourists.

Additionally they provide medical transportation, school routing, private event shuttle (i.e. company parties), and, of course, everyday taxi service. All of the companies offer state of the art technology to meet all customer needs. This includes computer dispatch and credit card capabilities. The companies use late model, world class taxicabs and minivans. All drivers are City - Licensed and all cabs are equipped with digital cameras and locking safes.

See the Virginia Pilot article, dated February 14, 2010 here.