MEXICO — Selectmen approved a license renewal for Road Hog Express taxi service of Rumford on Wednesday night.

The company and Courtesy Cab of Mexico were checked recently by officials in Rumford, which bars license renewals for companies with drivers who have been convicted of a felony or three
misdemeanors related to driving. Rumford police Chief Stacy Carter said nine of the 12 drivers for
Courtesy Cab and Road Hog Express have convictions, and the companies must cease operations or find drivers
with clean records.

Both taxi businesses got license renewals from Rumford selectmen six days before Carter reported his findings on the drivers.

  “They’ve been working very hard to put their lives together,” Mexico Selectman Peter Merrill said of the drivers. “It’s not our job to police taxi cabs. They deserve a job as much as anyone else.”

Selectman George Byam agreed.

“The offenses were mainly back in the ’90s, when they were growing up. We should go on their merits, and, we don’t have an ordinance,” he said.

Mexico had previously granted a license renewal to Courtesy Cab.

The Mexico board also approved a license renewal for Mountain Valley Taxi, which does not employ people with criminal records.

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