Affiliated business brands Apollo Taxi Service and Compass Taxi and Tours are up for sale owing in part to rising competition in the taxi service business.

The brands are being sold for $8.5 million, but Triton Transport Limited — a Belize-based company that owns both businesses according to documents filed with the Companies Office of Jamaica — is willing to throw in radios and vehicles that operate under the brands at an additional cost.

“Two of Jamaica’s premier and leading taxi service companies are being sold together. One hundred and fifty radios for rental are a part of the package deal. Cars with road licences can also be a part of the package,” the notice, which was posted on social media network Instagram, said on Monday.

The notice went on to say that the prospective buyers would need to come up with $13 million, if interested in purchasing the radios with the company brands. Additionally, the cost will increase depending on number of cars desired.

“Only serious inquiries please. Proof of funds will be required to initiate any face-to-face meetings for further discussion,” it said.

Micheal Mahfood is named as a director of Triton Transport Limited. Efforts by the Jamaica Observer to reach Mahfood were unsuccessful up to press time; however, a representative of the company said that clients of the businesses have dwindled for the past two years from growing players in the taxi service industry.

Google lists 165 registered players in Jamaica’s taxi service industry, but that does not take into account route taxi services and unregistered operators in the market.

“Our client base has decreased since ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and inDrive came into the market. The problem is that many of these companies are licensed operators and so it’s very difficult to compete with them,” the representative of Apollo Taxi Services said.

Just last week, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz announced a 12-month ban on ride-hailing service apps. He also directed Cable & Wireless and its Jamaican affiliates to restrict access, in Jamaica, to all ride-hailing applications via its network effective immediately.

The ban came a day after the police announced that remains they discovered in Salt River, Clarendon, on Monday are believed to be those of missing St Peter Claver Primary and Infant School teacher Danielle Anglin.

The school teacher went missing on May 13 while on her way to school from her Hellshire, St Catherine, home where she had reportedly chartered a cab via a ride-sharing app. Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey has revealed that the suspect believed to be responsible for Anglin’s kidnapping and subsequent murder was arrested back in 2015 on sexual assault charges.

Apollo Taxi Services and Compass Taxi and Tours joined forces in 2021 after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which brought business to a halt for many sectors including the transportation sector. Gathering restrictions, nightly curfews, quarantine periods, online learning, along with the institution of work-from-home policies caused a dramatic dip in daily commuters which negatively impacted the livelihoods of many.

Combined, Apollo Taxi Services and Compass Tours are said to have served the transportation sector for over 30 years. To attract drivers, the company said that team members would become owners of the vehicles they operate after six years of service.

It also guaranteed drivers earnings of between $80,000 to $120,000 per month to work with its team in 2021. At peak, both companies were said to have over 100 drivers. Its last call for drivers was in February when it tried to woo licensed candidates with an offer of up to $200,000 per month in earnings.

To differentiate themselves from the competitors, Apollo and Compass have been offering 24-hour service, online bookings, WhatsApp booking, airport pick-up and drop-off, and uniformed drivers.

The companies are still operational.