Media Release
24 January 2018
ROCKY CABS LEGEND JAN BUTTERWORTH RECEIVES TCQ AWARD
Rockhampton Yellow Cabs owner Jan Butterworth believes everyone should be able to get around Rockhampton with ease, regardless of whether they have a disability.
The industry veteran of 37-years was recently awarded the Significant Achievement Award in the Taxi Council of Queensland Industry Awards for her integral role in implementing the first wheelchair accessible vehicles in the fleet.
Approaching her work with dedication and drive, Jan has always been passionate about providing the best possible service for her community and says going above and beyond for customers is exactly how a job should be done.
“That’s just how things work in regional areas – we see the same customers often weekly or even daily so you really build a rapport with them on a personal level,” Ms Butterworth said.
“It deeply saddens me knowing that before we offered our disability services, many Rockhampton residents were unable to travel far from their homes while recovering from illness or injury.
“It’s so important that we foster a community that promotes accessibility and creates equal opportunities for all.”
As the first in Queensland to implement the swivel seat, Rockhampton Yellow Cabs had never serviced a person in a wheelchair, but progressively they have seen hundreds of customers take to the service.
During her time as the cab company’s manager, Jan also introduced driver training in Rockhampton prior to it becoming mandatory in Queensland, and educated non-English speaking drivers on how to communicate with customers in English to ensure Rocky Cabs’ service offering was nothing short of exceptional.
Taxi Council of Queensland CEO, Blair Davies, commended Jan for her much deserved win, thanking her for her above-and-beyond contribution to the taxi service industry.
“It’s fantastic to see a person of such influence recognised for their consistent efforts at our industry awards,” Mr Davies said.
“Jan is a true leader and should be incredibly proud of her involvement in this field that has aided hundreds of new customers access the Yellow Cabs service in Rockhampton.
“It’s examples of fantastic customer service like this that will carry the Queensland Taxi Industry into the future as leaders in transport service,” he said.
ENDS