An impromptu trip to Cuba, a wedding planner and a wedding photographer are to thank for Oxford’s newest mode of transportation. Flying Tuk was created by Ferriday Mansel McClatchy and her business partner Danny Klimetz as a unique service for Oxford’s growing population.
Klimentz was headed to Cuba for a wedding photography workshop, and McClatchy got the invite at the last moment. After seeing a three-wheeled Coco taxi on the streets of Cuba, the pair had the idea for a coco style wedding getaway vehicle. After doing some research, they decided on a ‘tuk-tuk,’ a three-wheeled auto rickshaw-style vehicle found around the world. Faced with the dilemma that most tuk-tuks aren’t street legal, take diesel gasoline and are quite old, McClatchy needed a solution.
That solution came in the form of the Tuk Tuk Factory, a Dutch company with a distributor in Denver. In January 2016, McClatchy and Klimetz began to realize that these vehicles could be used for more than just weddings. Three months later they were testing and purchasing two new tuk-tuks for their business. Business was booming right away and after just two weeks, the pair ordered three more tuk-tuks hoping to get them in time for the first home football game. Coming in just under the wire, McClatchy breathed a sigh of relief as they received the delivery one week before the Rebels first home game. Starting a taxi service at the beginning of football season was no easy task, but it’s experience that McClathy is glad they have.
“After having this first football season under our belt, we’re very confident moving forward. This has been an amazing and crazy experience. Now, it’s all hands on deck, and everyone is all in,” McClatchy said.
With Uber and Taxis around town, Flying Tuk offers a unique way to get you to and from wherever you need.
“Flying Tuk is all about an experience,” McClatchy said. “From the beginning, it’s been about giving people a safe ride above all else, but also a fun ride home. The vehicle itself is fun, but passengers can play your own music and each tuk has its own lights, so we offer something that maybe a taxi or an Uber can’t.”
While some may worry that colder temperatures may hinder the experience, have no fear. Doors on the tuk-tuks along with heated seats and blankets inside make cold or inclement weather a non-issue for the new company. At just $5 a person, a Flying Tuk ride can hold up to six passengers, and they accept cash, credit cards or Venmo. The electric powered vehicles top out at 35 mph, so the tuks mainly operate within a two-mile radius of the Square. If you don’t see a Flying Tuk vehicle where you need to be picked up, all you need to do is text 662-205-6312, tell them your location and a driver will be on their way! Flying Tuk’s hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m until one hour after the bars close. Flying Tuk is also available for weddings and other private events.
The idea for Flying Tuk began one year ago, and after just two months of fully operating in the Oxford community McClatchy is proud of what they’ve achieved so far and is looking forward to the future.
“We took a very large leap of faith, but it’s definitely been worth it. To see how the community has embraced us and how it’s been received is incredible. We really had no idea, but as we got started, we knew we had something worth working for. It’s been a crazy year but it’s been a great year,” McClatchy said. “We have very exciting ideas for the future that we are very excited about, but we’re going to keep those under wraps for now.”
For more information about Flying Tuk including reservations for private events, click here.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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