RICHMOND, Ind. — Upon Depot Taxi closing down in March, the city of Richmond, and Wayne County as a whole was left with no taxi service and very few public transportation options aside from Roseview Transit.

But that void didn’t last long, as four taxi companies have since been created and are either currently operating or in the process of finishing their registration process with the city to begin operating.

Here are the current transportation options available in the area:

HK and L Transportation

HK and L Transportation, owned by Harry and Katie Markcum, a married couple who has about 15 years in the taxi and ridesharing industry through Uber and Lyft, opened for business on April 17 after receiving its taxicab license.

Katie said after Depot Taxi closed down, the two realized the need for transportation was “just so great” that they decided to create their own business to help the community.

So far, the company has one vehicle on the road, a 2014 Kia Sedona that they use to transport customers to places within Wayne County, as well as airport runs to the Dayton International Airport, with other possible drop-offs including Eaton and New Paris, Ohio, upon request.

Katie said rides are $10 anywhere within the city of Richmond, while rides outside the city will be charged $10 plus $1 per mile. For any requested stops along the way to a customer’s final destination, a $2 fee per stop will be added.

“For instance, if somebody wants to go to the bank and come right back, instead of charging them $10, we just charge them $12,” she said.

For airport runs, Katie said they charge $132 to Dayton, $178 to Indianapolis, $150 to Cincinnati and $503 to Chicago. If someone needs picked up from an airport, she said prices would be doubled to account for roundtrips.

The taxi operates five days a week. It is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays. Katie did, however, say the taxi will operate on Wednesdays for regular clients who set up a weekly schedule with them, such as those who consistently need rides to work.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on days that the taxi is operating, and it will be closed from June 10-18 before resuming business on June 19.

Katie also highlighted their Christian background and positive feedback from other customers as a reason to use their service.

“We always get compliments on how clean and very punctual we are, and we always give high customer service,” she said.

To schedule a ride, call 765-914-4991.

M&C Taxi

Owned by former Old Richmond Taxi and Depot Taxi driver Michael Croslow, M&C Taxi opened for business just a couple of weeks ago.

Croslow said he started as a driver for Old Richmond Taxi in 2013. When that business shut down, he moved over to Depot Taxi. He left Depot about three years ago and saw an opportunity to start his own company after that business closed in March.

Drivers for M&C Taxi are Croslow and his sister-in-law, who was a dispatcher for Old Richmond Taxi for a year. The two use a 2016 Dodge Dart and 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan to transport customers.

Hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Within the city of Richmond, rides are $7 one-way and $1.75 per mile outside the city.

“It started out slow, but it’s starting to pick up,” Croslow said of his business.

To schedule a ride, call 765-914-2971.

C&M Taxi

Not to be confused with M&C Taxi, C&M Taxi is owned by Christine and Montana McNabb. Montana McNabb, a former Depot Taxi driver, worked at Papa John’s to save money to start his company.

While legally registered to operate with the state, C&M Taxi is still working to get registered with the city of Richmond.

As of now, the couple plans on using a 2006 Toyota Scion XA with Montana as the driver should everything get worked out with the city. By the end of the year, they hope to have four cars on the road with a driver for each.

The company plans to offer rides from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day, Monday through Saturday, except for Wednesday when hours are 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The business is closed on Sundays.

Rides will be $10 for five minutes and $1 per minute after, and customers will be able to call 765-542-6905 to set up a ride once the company is registered.

Wayne County Taxi Service

While his company is not open for business yet, Brian Knutson moved to Richmond a month ago and within days noticed the city lacked a taxi service.

Knutson moved from Sumter, South Carolina, where he was a driver for Sumter Taxi LLC for three years.

“That’s kind of where I fell in love with transporting people,” he said. “I wasn’t just doing taxi. I was doing medical transportation. I was doing limousine. I was doing executive runs. I was deep into the transportation industry, and when I moved to Richmond, my first thought was what does Richmond really need? Within the first three days of living in Richmond, I found out there was no taxi service.”

Like C&M Taxi, Wayne County Taxi Service still has a few things to take care of before becoming registered with the city.

That includes finding insurance for his 2005 Buick Terraza, which he bought just days ago to use for his company. Once he does that, he can begin the process with the city’s police department, for which he said he already has most of the paperwork done.

Despite the hurdles he still needs to jump, Knutson said he is optimistic his business can open for customers starting the second or third week in June.

Knutson said he plans on charging $10 for the first five miles, and $2 per mile after.

As far as where he’ll drive, Knutson said he would go “wherever the customer needs or wants to go and as long as the customer can afford the rate,” while naming Kentucky as a possible destination.

For airport runs, there will be a flat rate depending on the airport, though he hasn’t decided on how much they will cost yet.

Once he officially opens for business, customers can call 765-201-4089 to book a ride.

Roseview Transit

The public transportation service for the city of Richmond, Roseview Transit uses buses and vans to transport residents across the city Monday through Friday from 6:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Roseview Transit operates six routes in which riders can flag down a bus anywhere along the route to board or request a stop anywhere along the route.

Rates per ride are $1.75 for regular fare and $1.50 for students, senior citizens and disabled individuals. Children under 5 years old ride free.

A monthly bus pass is $43 at the regular rate and $35 for students, senior citizens and disabled individuals.

There are guidelines for riders to follow, including no eating, smoking or open containers and staying seated while the bus is in motion.

For a full list of guidelines and more information, riders can visit the city of Richmond’s website.

Roseview Transit is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Public Transportation and Taxi options within Richmond and Wayne County