The GO Alpine Taxi company has announced the return of its in-town transport service, citing a growing demand for reliable nighttime transportation in Steamboat Springs.

“GO Alpine Taxi recognizes the importance of offering flexible solutions to meet the unique needs of the destination’s valued customers, and we are pleased to fill a gap in local on-call services for our guests,” company COO Tasha Cifuentes said in a news release.

Operating as Steamboat Express, the company suspended its local taxi service last December to evaluate the program over the next 12 months.

“With the technology we had in place for the taxi service, it requires 24/7 coverage from dispatch and the driver perspective, and with ridership falling off by 95%, it’s just not economically viable,” owner and CEO Landon Ogilvie told the Steamboat Pilot & Today last December.

While continuing operations to the Yampa Valley Regional Airport and Denver, the company cited a decreased ridership in Steamboat because of the increase in shuttle and ride share options, along with the city’s free bus services.

However, the on-call taxi service returned on Wednesday.

“We did find that there was a gap left in coverage for the late-night crowd due to the lack of Ubers of Lyfts that are available in the Steamboat community,” Cifuentes said Friday.

In an email, Cifuentes also cited a rise in demand since the removal of many COVID restrictions as another reason for the return of the taxi service. Cifuentes explained the company also used the time off to investigate more efficient ways to operate the taxi service, so that they could avoid extra expenses and downtime for the drivers.

Now GO Alpine Taxi is available upon request from 6 p.m.-midnight seven days per week, offering rides within Steamboat city limits.

For rides, Go Alpine charges $5 per person and $2 per mile. The company said it accepts all major credit cards, Venmo and cash for a limited time. To book a ride, passengers can call or text GO Alpine at 970-596-4125.

GO Alpine Taxi is also exploring the use of an app for scheduling rides and payment to give customers a more streamlined experience and allow the company to operate at a lower cost.