Could you be Norwich-based taxi firm’s millionth customer?

The range of ABC Taxis' eco-friendly cars. Picture: ABC Taxis (Image: Archant)

ABC Taxis, based in Paddock Street, Norwich, is about to pick up its millionth fare of the calendar year - the first time they have ever reached this number in a 12-month period.

After falling just short in 2018 - they completed around 995,000 journeys - company director Simon Callender is delighted to get into seven figures for the first time.

He said: "It was annoying to get so close and not make it - we ended up reaching the million a few days later.

"We're really happy to have made it this time."

ABC Taxis started out in 1994 and is now one of the largest private hire providers in the county.

Over the years they have continued to grow, recording steady increases in passenger numbers and investing in an eco-friendly fleet of cars to reduce operating costs and also their impact on the environment.

When the company embarked upon a rapid expansion drive in 2014 they employed 130 drivers, but this number has almost doubled to around 240 in the last five years.

The firm expects to pick up its millionth customer of 2019 on the evening of Friday, November 15, marking the milestone more than six weeks before the end of the calendar year.

"We're expecting to get to around the 1.14 million mark this year," Mr Callender said.

Marketing manager Chris Harvey said: "It will be difficult to tell who the millionth person will be - Friday nights are busy and we'll have 104 cars on the road that night - but we'll be keeping track.

"We haven't decided exactly what we'll do, but we're hoping to get in contact with that person."

Mr Callender - who has run the company with fellow director Paul Walker from its infancy - expressed his pride at how far they have come in that time.

He said: "We've grown from small beginnings to having around 240 drivers and 25 office staff.

"I'm very proud of what we've achieved."