Our History
A bit of the history of Voss Taxi. Surprisingly little of old archives and pictures exist today. However, in all likelihood, there has been taxi activity in Voss for over 100 years, if not longer. The story suggests that the Voss Taxi Owners Association was founded on February 10, 1930. It is somewhat unclear where they were stationed, but from what we can decipher from old meeting minutes, they were located at the fish market and later behind Voss Bookstore. Large parts of the association's history were lost during the bombing of Vossevangen in World War II.
After the war, the taxi owners' association, along with the Voss Truck Association, made an agreement with Norsk Brenselsolje (BP), now Statoil, for their own fuel tank on the condition that they refueled exclusively there. The agreement also provided housing for the taxi drivers in the form of a barracks given to them by BP. The barracks were placed at Hestavangen in the early 1950s. However, based on old pictures, it appears that they were already at Hestavangen around 1937.
In the sixties, Dr. Bonsaksen attempted to build a health center on the plot where the taxis were located. A clause in the purchase contract with the municipality stipulated that the drivers should be allowed to use the first floor when the new building was completed.
It was in 1968 that the barracks were moved westward on the site, where they still stand today. This was supposed to be a temporary relocation until new housing was ready. However, when the building was finished and ready for occupancy, it turned out that the premises were not suitable for the taxis; it was too large and the rent would be too high, considering they paid per square meter. Previously, BP had helped provide housing for the drivers, but they considered this increase in rent to be unreasonable. There were also plans in those days for underground toilet facilities with the taxis positioned above them. But this never materialized either.
After a lengthy period of deliberation and several letters exchanged between the municipality, the taxis, Dr. Bonsaksen, and others, the whole issue of housing faded away, and the drivers remained in the shack until the winter of 2014. Then they finally got to come home, as they say. Back to where they started and where they were originally promised new housing.
Timeline:
1930 – ca. 1950 Voss Drosjeeigarlag
1950 – 2014 Drosjebilsentralen/Voss Drosjebilsentral
2014 - Voss Taxi SA
Voss Taxi celebrates 90 years 10 february 2020.
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