Black Top & Checker Cabs

What Black Top & Checker Cabs does

Black Top & Checker Cabs Ltd. is a privately-held, owner-operated taxi company headquartered at 1355 Vernon Drive in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded around 1940, the company has operated continuously in the City of Vancouver for 80+ years, running the second largest taxi fleet in the city at 200+ vehicles, including 36 wheelchair-accessible vans, with a fleet composed of more than 90% hybrid vehicles. It operates within Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland, holding one of 16 authorized licenses for airport taxi service from Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The legal entity is Black Top & Checker Cabs Ltd., incorporated in British Columbia, with Jeff Wan serving as General Manager and no disclosed parent company or institutional investor involvement.

The company's core product is a regulated metered taxi service (flag rate $3.75 CAD, $2.18 CAD per km, $38.93 CAD per hour wait time) operating 24/7 under British Columbia's Passenger Transportation Board, with no surge pricing. The technology stack comprises a proprietary Black Top Vancouver mobile app on iOS and Android (real-time GPS tracking, in-app payment, tipping, driver verification, "Track My Taxi" and "Parent Tracker" location-sharing safety features, wheelchair-accessible booking), an Autocab-powered web booking platform (eb3.autocab.net), 24/7 phone dispatch, and street hailing as a legacy channel. Adjacent services include airport taxi, pickup and delivery courier service for packages under 20 lbs ($20 minimum), jump start roadside assistance ($25 flat fee), a wheelchair-accessible transport service, a taxi arrival reminder, and a corporate account program with preferred pickup, scheduled pickups, monthly billing, vouchers, and dedicated account executives. Distribution spans self-serve app/web, inside sales via phone dispatch, and direct sales for corporate and airport segments.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based metered fares, supplemented by monthly-billed corporate accounts, courier transaction fees, jump start flat fees, and airport zone fares. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across individual consumers, corporate/business accounts, airport travelers, passengers with disabilities, and courier service customers. Distribution channels are direct and multi-modal: mobile app (SMB/Individual/Consumer), web booking, phone dispatch, street hail, corporate accounts (Enterprise), and YVR airport service. Marketing channels combine organic social (Facebook), app-store listings, email/newsletter campaigns, blog content marketing, and corporate/charitable partnerships. The company has no disclosed revenue, no funding history, and operates as a legacy, owner-operated business with strong brand equity from eight decades of local operation.

Name

Black Top & Checker Cabs

Legal name

Black Top & Checker Cabs Ltd.

Website

https://btccabs.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Black Top & Checker Cabs is a privately-held Vancouver taxi company operating 200+ vehicles, including 36 wheelchair-accessible vans. Founded around 1940, it provides metered taxi, corporate, airport, courier, and accessibility services via mobile app, web, phone, and street-hail channels in Metro Vancouver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Taxi Services

NAICS

Taxi and Limousine Service (4853), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310)

akta.pro primary industry

Taxi & E-Hail Operators (TLAFAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taxi-Hail Aggregators & Dispatch Platforms (E-Hail for Licensed Taxis) (TLAFAIAD), E-Hailing Taxi Aggregators (Licensed Taxi Dispatch Platforms) (THADADAC), Street-Hail Taxi Services (THADAEAA), Ride-Hailing & Taxi Aggregation Platforms (BPAMAIAE), Dispatch / Call Center Taxi Services (THADAEAB)

Keywords

• Taxi services
• Wheelchair accessible transport
• Airport transfers
• Courier delivery
• Corporate ground transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Metered Taxi Fares: Primary revenue stream from metered taxi rides charged per distance and time. Rates are regulated by British Columbia's Passenger Transportation Board for Metro Vancouver. No surge pricing - consistent rates regardless of demand.
2. Courier and Delivery Services: Pickup and delivery courier service for envelopes, parcels, and small packages (under 20 lbs/10 kg). Charged by meter with a minimum rate of $20.00.
3. Corporate Account Billing: Monthly billing for corporate accounts with preferred pickup service, scheduled pickups, and account executive support.
4. Jump Start Service: Roadside assistance for motorists requiring battery jump start. Flat fee of $25.00 regardless of whether car starts.
5. Airport Taxi Service: Taxi service to/from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) using zone fare system. One of 16 authorized companies to provide airport service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Top & Checker Cabs operates metered taxi, wheelchair-accessible transport, airport transfer, courier delivery, jump start, and corporate account services throughout Metro Vancouver. Service is delivered via a fleet of more than 200 vehicles (over 90% hybrid, including 36 wheelchair-accessible vans) and booked through phone dispatch, street hails, or a proprietary mobile app.

Product overview

Black Top & Checker Cabs operates as a traditional taxi company with a diversified service portfolio. The core offering is the metered taxi service (Black Top & Checker Cabs Taxi Service), supported by a proprietary mobile app (Black Top Vancouver Mobile App) enabling in-app booking, payment, and real-time tracking. Additional services include airport taxi service, courier/delivery service, jump start roadside assistance, wheelchair-accessible transportation, and corporate account management. The company utilizes the Autocab web platform for online bookings. All services are built around a 200+ vehicle fleet and 24-7 dispatch operations serving Vancouver and surrounding Metro Vancouver areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metered Taxi Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero surge pricing - consistent rates regardless of demand periods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Spread a Smile BCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partnership to provide free transportation for beneficiaries of Spread a Smile BC's free dental care program. Black Top offers taxi rides (approx. $100 CAD per trip) from Vancouver to White Rock for individuals unable to afford dental care. Reflects company's community giving initiatives.
• Great Foreseeson Local Delivery (GLD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Strategic partnership to expand delivery driver network in Greater Vancouver Area. GLD (leading on-demand courier mobile app platform) and Black Top combine resources and technology to provide businesses with more drivers for affordable same-day delivery services. Black Top drivers gain additional business opportunities during non-peak taxi hours.
• Greater Vancouver Board of TrademinorOthersCorporate member of Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT), demonstrating business community involvement and local business legitimacy.
• Great Local DeliveryminorOthersCorporate partner logo displayed on website, indicating ongoing commercial relationship.
• Spread a Smile BCminorOthersCharitable partner with ongoing promotional relationship on corporate website.
• Grad MediaminorOthersCorporate partner logo displayed on website.
• JoobleminorOthersJob posting platform partnership for driver recruitment advertising.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MacLure's Cabs: Vancouver-area licensed taxi company offering metered taxi service, corporate accounts, and airport transfers under the same BC regulatory framework. Directly comparable in fleet size, service mix, and target customer segments.
• Vancouver Taxi: Metro Vancouver licensed taxi operator providing on-demand street hail, dispatch, and pre-booked rides with metered fares. Directly competes for the same rider pool in the same regulated environment.
• Yellow Cab of Vancouver: Another licensed taxi operator serving Vancouver and Metro Vancouver with metered fares regulated by the BC Passenger Transportation Board. Most direct competitor in the same regulatory and geographic market with overlapping street-hail, dispatch, and YVR airport service.

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global rideshare platform operating throughout Metro Vancouver with dynamic (surge) pricing and a broad driver supply. The primary alternative-mode competitor that Black Top explicitly positions against with its 'no surge' marketing.
• Lyft: North American rideshare platform competing for the same Metro Vancouver passenger trips via mobile-app-based dynamic pricing. Represents the broad incumbent rideshare model that traditional taxi operators must differentiate against.

Others

• Modo Co-operative: Vancouver-based car-sharing cooperative offering point-to-point mobility as an alternative to taxi and rideshare for short urban trips. Adjacent competitor for urban passenger mobility budgets rather than direct taxi substitution.
• EVO Car Share: British Columbia-based car-share service operating hybrid and EV vehicles across Metro Vancouver. Adjacent competitor that diverts some short-trip demand away from taxi services in the same geography.

Regional players

• Richmond Taxi: Licensed taxi operator based in Richmond, BC, serving the broader Metro Vancouver region. Comparable in regulated metered service model but primarily anchored in Richmond rather than Vancouver city core.
• GVT Taxi (Greater Vancouver Transportation): Licensed taxi operator serving suburban Metro Vancouver markets outside the downtown core. Comparable in regulated metered service model and wheelchair-accessible offerings, but focused on suburban rather than core Vancouver trips.

Emerging players

• Curb Mobility: Digital taxi-hailing platform in North America that connects licensed taxi fleets to riders via a mobile app. Comparable as a taxi-focused digital dispatch overlay that competes for the app-native taxi booking use case.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackTopandCheckerCabs
• Xx.com/BlackTopCabs_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Top & Checker Cabs