The Last Drive For Braintree Best Taxi

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree Best Taxi owner Greg Najjar knew something was wrong when business took a dip towards the end of 2013. He thought it was perhaps an off year, maybe the kids weren't going back to school. He quickly realized that the decrease was due to a new company called Uber.

That’s when he realized that his company was on the clock, and the dive began.

"I realized the damage in 2013. I realized something was wrong and I identified the problem was Uber by the end of 2013," Najjar said, speaking exclusively to Braintree Patch. “By 2016 we were doing everything to keep the drivers. By 2017, we knew that the end was not near, it was here.”

Najjar closed his taxi company at the end of 2017, capping a 28-year run. He said the rise of Uber killed his company, and that was only speaking to make people aware that he is no longer in business.

“I would like to thank all of my loyal customers for almost 30 years of believing that we would always be there for them and always take them where they needed to go safely," he said. "They were not just an address and they were part of my family."

Najjar said his main concerns include the elderly customers who relied his cabs to run errands, go grocery shopping, or pay a visit to the doctor. That group was a large part of the customer base, as were guests at Braintree’s eight hotels. The hotels were early adopters of the new ride-sharing apps, which lead to a steep drop in service. In August 2015, Najjar said business was down 40 to 45 percent. It was closer to 68 to 70 percent by the end of 2017.

“It was like a donkey falling off the Grand Canyon. Watching the phones just stop ringing. When you watch your numbers for the year just flatline and go straight down,” he said.

Najjar was one of the local business owners who lobbied the town to regulate drivers for electronic transportation companies in 2015. The licensing commissioners initially approved a cease and desist order to any driver without a hackney license and the same background check imposed on taxi drivers, but the board later decided in August 2015 to not change their regulations and wait for the state unveils their plans.

"There is no way (Uber) would have complied with that, they have given up countries for that. They would have let it go, but they ignored it and continued to operate," he said.

Braintree Best isn’t the first cab company in Greater Boston to go under with the rise of transportation network company. In August, Newton Yellow Cab announced that they were going out of business, with their owner citing some of the same reasons.

Looking back, Najjar said he is proud of the service he brought to Braintree, including his initiative to create an all-green fleet in 2013. As for the future, Najjar said he thinks he’ll be alright.

“This is very raw to me. I haven’t thought that far ahead, but for the grace of God I’ll be ok,” he said.

Image: File Photo