Hillsdale’s new taxi isn’t yellow, but it will take its passengers where they need to go on time and perhaps get them coffee, too.
On Feb. 16, Charles “Chopper” Ferguson’s Call and Go Now, the first licensed and insured metered taxi service in Hillsdale in more than 10 years, started business. People can call 517-607-8220 to travel within the city of Hillsdale and outside of it for most of the day. Ferguson said the business is already doing better than he expected, and he has plans to grow the company beyond the Chevrolet Uplander LT he currently uses.
“We’re doing well; it’s picking up,” Ferguson said. “It’s doing a little better than I thought it would, and people are just starting to get to know us.”
Call and Go Now runs Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, it is available between 8 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. the following day. Passengers can catch a ride Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Its slogan is “Yes, we go there!” — but the prices change depending on the passenger’s destination. The start charge is $2.50, and for those traveling within the city of Hillsdale, there is an additional $1.25 fee for every mile traveled. Outside of it, that fee is $1.10 per mile. Additional passengers cost $1.50 each.
“We want to make it as best as we can make it and as affordable as we can make it and be able to stay in business,” Ferguson said.
Call and Go Now also offers specials for Wal-Mart trips and those who work at the Martinrea International Inc. automotive parts plant in Jonesville, Michigan.
The Wal-Mart special offers a round trip for a reduced start charge of $1.50 and the additional $1.10 per mile. Patrons call Ferguson’s company, he drives them, and they’ll call again when they finish shopping.
“I said when I started this, ‘I need to find a way to get people to work,’” Ferguson said. “My goal is, everyone that gets in that car to go to work is to get a hot cup of coffee. It don’t seem like much, but this day and age, seeing people go to work is pretty cool.”
Ferguson promised to get people to work on time — that’s 10 minutes before the passenger’s shift begins or the ride is free.
People can make reservations, but if an emergency arises, Call and Go Now can get an employee to work by 6:45 a.m. at the earliest if he or she calls by 6:15 a.m.
Call and Go Now accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit and debit cards as well as Apple Pay.
Ferguson said he thought of the business idea after hauling friends as personal favors for several years.
“I got to get some gas money,” Ferguson said. “The more I thought and heard, the more I realized how desperate the area is for transportation service.”
Ferguson said he started driving at the age of 11, but he has driven legally for 43 years. He’s held a chauffeur’s license for 41 years and said he has a good driving record — a few speeding tickets and only one car crash at the age of 16.
Ferguson is also working with the Hillsdale County Department of Human Services to provide transportation to medical appointments for 15-20 people a week.
He said he enjoys working with DHS, and he makes sure his customers do, too.
“If I have to stop in Jackson, I’ll stop and buy them a cup of coffee to make the ride a little better,” Ferguson said. “I’ve met so many interesting people; it’s been a blast.”
He said he hopes to purchase a smaller car for DHS and has an opportunity to purchase a used handicap van.
“Everybody tells me it’s needed here,” he said.
He added that he’s already been in contact with senior centers, but he needs more money than what DHS offers to hire another driver. Most handicap vans require someone to climb into it and fit into cramped spaces to lock and unlock the wheelchair so it’ll stay in place while in motion.
“It’s going to take somebody in better physical condition than me,” Ferguson said.
Dial-A-Ride, a program of the Michigan Department of Transportation, offers inexpensive rides in the city of Hillsdale but has limited hours and is unavailable on weekends.
“I’m happy there’s extra transportation that perhaps they can pick up during the hours we’re closed,” Dial-A-Ride Supervisor/Dispatcher Sue Kehn said. “There’s a big need for that in Hillsdale County.”
Hillsdale City Councilmember Emily Stack Davis said there is a need for a transportation service to help people travel to a doctor’s appointment, hair salon, or grocery store.
“It seems like the kind of service that needs to be offered, and he’s really offering a space and an economic need we have,” Davis said.
Two to three people inquire about starting a taxi service in Hillsdale each year, city Chief of Police Scott Hephner noted.
The company’s website, CallandGoNow.com, lists rates and contact information.
Ferguson said he sees Call and Go Now as an instrument of change for Hillsdale.
“Let’s bring some people from Jackson to Hillsdale,” Ferguson said. “Call me to come and bring people from Hudson here.”
