In Lower Merion, a high-end car service company is betting that some people still want to call a cab

A beloved Main Line cab company is getting a second life — sort of.

Maxwell Taxi Cab Co., the Lower Merion institution that closed this winter, has been acquired by Bryn Mawr-based ML Car Service Ltd.

The 10-year-old limo service took over Maxwell’s phone number at the end of April, shortly after The Inquirer wrote about the taxi company’s closure, said Jerry Hevey, CEO and managing member of ML Car Service. He declined to disclose how much he paid.

» READ MORE: The Main Line’s last surviving taxi caught its last ride

“My wife actually sent me the [Inquirer] article and basically was like, ‘Here is the thing you’ve always been talking about,’” said Hevey, whose business already had the required state operating license and a fleet of cars. “With Maxwell’s 50 years serving the Main Line, it checked all the boxes.”

Hevey is betting on the continued demand for old-school car and limo service at a precarious time. The pandemic and the growth of the rideshare industry has undercut the taxi business, driving many cabs off the street. The costs of car insurance and repairs have skyrocketed.

Those factors led Maxwell to close, with co-owner George Fusaro telling The Inquirer in April: “It got to the point where it wasn’t viable.”

Hevey, however, remains optimistic.

“There is definitely competition on all levels,” he said. But “I think our pricing falls in line with rideshare,” particularly with what it would cost to be picked up in a similar kind of vehicle, which would likely fall into Uber’s “Premier” category. Since ML was originally a limo service, customers will be picked up in a high-end car, such as a Cadillac Escalade, a Lincoln sedan, or a Tesla.

ML Car Service’s pricing varies, Hevey said, but generally falls between $45 and $165. For the cost, passengers can expect consistent, reliable service, he said.

» READ MORE: Philly Uber drivers share why it’s become so hard to get a ride home from Citizens Bank Park

ML’s seven drivers take passengers across the region and “all over the mid-Atlantic,” as far as New England and Maryland, Hevey said. Often, they’re driving to the airports in Philadelphia, Newark, or New York, he said, or taking a group of friends out on the town.

“We’re in the party space,” Hevey said. “We’re in the space of picking up clients that want to go to a Phillies game, Eagles game, or a concert.”

ML rarely does wedding transportation, he said, but he hopes to expand into the industry.

Since acquiring Maxwell’s old phone number, 610-896-5100, business has increased, Hevey said. To keep up, he’s looking to hire as many as eight more drivers.

Former Maxwell customers have been making about 10 reservations a day. About a third of this business is drop-offs or pickups at the Philly airport, he said, while others are seeking rides to doctor’s appointments, family gatherings, or to a train station.

Hevey said his clients span all age groups.

Unlike Uber and Lyft, ML Car Service accepts cash or card, though card information must be put on file prior to a ride, and reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance. But sometimes drivers can make exceptions.

“Many of the calls from old Maxwell clients have been on demand,” Hevey said, “and they’ve been able to meet that demand.”