Chronicle Pepperpot July 30, 2017
XXI
‘Just around the corner’ Roy Spooner and the DC Yellow Cabs
Roy Spooner
THE name DC Yellow Cabs is perhaps a household name for the average resident in the tri-State area of Washington, D.C., and with a fleet of 550 cars and its state-of-theart digital dispatching service, the company has over the past 75 years grown from being a traditional taxi service, to an all-inclusive, modern transportation company. The success of DC Yellow cabs is so significant, in fact, that it has managed to survive and still rivals transportation giant Uber, despite the latter’s surge in popularity and the strain placed on traditional taxi services by Ubers “ridesharing” and other services. But the modern day growth and success of DC Yellow Cabs is due to the hard work and dedication of Guyanese born Roy Spooner and his brother who are both proud of how far they have brought the business in the past decade alone. Just 13 years ago, Roy was a senior level career banker, but later partnered with his brother as part-owner of the company- which was established since 1931. “DC Yellow Cabs had already been around for close to 75 years. My brother had been working there for years and he worked his way up until he was able to own the company, then I partnered with him
later on,” Roy Spooner told the smell my air, and I come back Pepperpot Magazine. refreshed,” Roy said. “We were one of the first comHe recalled however, about panies doing dispatch services. We three years ago, being alarmed by wanted to go to a computerised what he felt was a level of toxicity level and became one of the first induced by violence and fear that companies in the US doing digital he had witnessed occurring in dispatching, using GPS. We were the country. During his last visit, the first company to offer credit though, which was made in honour cards in cabs; we revolutionised of Guyana’s Independence celetaxi companies in the area.” brations this year, Roy admitted Over the years, the company’s that he noticed a striking differsuccess led to its expansion, as ence. “I remember I was listening well as the establishment of Yelto the live band at Pegasus, they low Transportation, for which DC started playing ‘Not a blade of Yellow Cabs is the flagship. “We grass’ and the entire place started have evolved over these years into singing and to me it was an extaking this technology and installtremely touching moment to have ing it into our fleet of 550 cars. heard and seen this thing happenAnd that is how we have grown,” ing. It seems that Guyanese of all Roy said. He added, however, that race, colour and creed recognised the company’s success has not this song and were proud to say we come without its struggles, having aren’t giving up a blade of grass. to operate in an industry where he At that moment it was very touchbelieves that “the powers that be ing to be home,” he said. favour your competition and burBut even while he is in the US, den you with regulations”. In fact, Roy maintains that he is connected Roy attests that DC Yellow Cabs to Guyana 365 days a year, 24 days The transformation of the ‘yellow cab’ over the years had utilised the same technology a week, adding that he has always that their competition does, even wanted to move back to Guyana with his wife- who was also Guyanese- to have before they started business. “I fight them their first child in their home country. But in and start a business and that he still thinks of every day, they are stealing our business but 1974, Roy returned to the United States and the possibility of doing so some time in the we are keeping strong because we have built eventually made it his home. future. a brand,” he said. Roy is a member of the Queens College “I started in a mailroom and I kept on doing classes, keeping myself educated and Alumni Association and helps to give back to THE BEGINNINGS OF A then I started working at the bank,” he said. his country through initiatives hosted by that BUSINESSMAN Banking- with specialty in Information Tech- group. “We strongly support what is happenLike many success stories, Roy stems from nology- remained his profession of choice up ing in the country now…it seems that there is humble beginnings, growing up in a ‘tenement until he ventured into the taxi cab industry. an awakening in Guyana of their awareness yard’ in Carmichael Street, Georgetown. After of who we are, and where we should be, and leaving primary school, he was given a place ROY AND HIS LOVE FOR GUYANA that is the Guyana that I recognise and that I at Queen’s College, and, according to him, While he was building his career, and know,” he said. was the only child in the neighbourhood to even after his success came with the business, Now a single parent to two children, boast that accolade. In his spare time, Roy Guyana, of course, remained a significant part Roy vows to raise his children with an ‘old worked at a nearby baker shop and would be of his life, and he ensured that he returned school style’ in this new school world. But seen delivering bread in his QC uniform to frequently. “I can go any place in this world most of all, he is proud to represent Guycustomers in the area. Just after high school, but when I come home, that is my moment of ana through the success of his business and Roy then went on to become the second, where I can be… I don’t need to do anything, intends to continue to promote his country youngest, prison officer Guyana had seen. He I can just go there for one week, eat my food wherever his success takes him. left Guyana at 18, got married and returned Roy and team
The dispatchers of DC Yellow Cabs