AUSTIN, TX (December 16, 2008) – –   The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau selected Evans Ortega, an independent contractor driver at Yellow Cab, to receive the Austin CVB’s 2008 Hometown Hero Award. Mayor Will Wynn presented the award at a ceremony during the citywide Taxi Driver Appreciation Day.

Earlier in the year, the Austin CVB invited all Austin taxi companies to nominate individuals who had “gone above and beyond the call of duty to be a good Ambassador for our city.”

In April 2008, Ed Kargbo, general manager of Yellow Cab, received a letter from Doris Frierson, who expressed her gratitude for Evans Ortega’s compassion toward her disabled adult son, Joel.

Ortega was transporting a passenger near the intersection of Congress Avenue and Live Oak when he spotted a man struggling to walk down the street. The man’s legs were heavily bandaged and he was having a difficult time maneuvering his walker.

After he dropped off his passenger, Ortega decided to check on the man he’d seen. To his dismay, the man had fallen and injured himself. Even more disturbing, says Ortega, was the number of people who drove or walked past the obviously injured man without stopping to render aid.

“Joel has both feet amputated,” explained his mother.” He was having a difficult time returning to the Live Oak Nursing Center, where he is a resident. “Mr. Ortega stopped and offered to help. Joel told him he didn’t have money for cab fare,” wrote Joel’s mother. Ortega waived the cab fare and transported Frierson and his walker back to the nursing center. The driver waited until he was certain that Frierson was receiving the attention he needed.

“Helping people through stressful times is par for the course if you’re a cab driver,” said Ortega, who has been an independent contractor driver at Yellow Cab for more than 9 years. “I believe you should always help anyone who is in distress.”

Mayor Will Wynn presents the Hometown Hero award to Yellow Cab
independent contractor driver Evans Ortega as Debbie Taylor, Yellow Cab
assistant general manager, and Ed Kargbo, Yellow Cab general manager,
applaud. The ceremony took place during the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau's Taxi Driver Appreciation Day.

As part of its Taxi Driver Appreciation Day, Austin CVB estimates that it served breakfast and lunch to more than half of the city’s 1200 taxi drivers. The drivers “need to know that we really appreciate that they are the first point of contact,” said Bob Lander, President and CEO of the Austin CVB. “We want to encourage them to make it a positive one.”

 “Yellow Cab is grateful to the Austin CVB for recognizing how important taxi drivers are to our city,” said Kargbo. “We congratulate Mr. Ortega on his well-deserved award for outstanding service.”

About Greater Austin Transportation Company

Greater Austin Transportation Company is the parent company of Yellow Cab,  Austin’s largest and most modern computer dispatched taxi fleet.  Serving the Austin area with high-tech transportation solutions since 1985, Yellow Cab’s taxi service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  All cabs are operated by independent contractor drivers and are equipped with digital cameras as well as a Global Positioning System.  For more information, visit www.YellowCabAustin.com or call (512) 452-9999.

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