ONE of North Yorkshire’s biggest private hire companies has been saved, after it had entered administration.

A group of 17 minority shareholders in the old business, most of them drivers, has bought Six Five Nine Cars Ltd in York, which trades as 659 Taxis.

The firm had been continuing to trade while a buyer was sought by York business recovery practice Begbies Traynor, who were appointed as joint administrators after a hearing at Leeds county court in November.

A spokesman for the shareholders said the firm’s future was bright and improvements were being planned, including a new operating system and a booking app which would be launched shortly.

The company currently has about 80 drivers and provides an average of about 9,000 lifts a week in the York area.

A spokesman said some drivers who had left when the firm went into administration had already come back, and he urged any others who had not yet done so to follow suit, adding that the subs payable by drivers to the firm had been reduced. He also thanked ‘loyal’ customers for their support.

Joint administrator Rob Sadler said in a statement that the deal “should see all the creditors paid in full, which the purchaser was keen to achieve.”