2009 Taxicab Driver of the Year — Ousmane Ndoye

Denver Man Who Saved Woman from Burning House Named Taxi Driver of the Year by National Transportation Association

(ROCKVILLE, Maryland)—The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) is pleased to announce it has named Ousmane Ndoye of Denver, Colorado, as the 2009 Taxicab Driver of the Year.

Acts of selflessness and kindness seem to be the norm for Ousmane, whose application and testimonials from peers recounted numerous stories of how he simply tries to help people whenever and wherever he can. He hands out bottles of water to the homeless. He has given free rides to elderly citizens. He once drove a man and his young son to their destination for free, simply because it was a hot day. Then came the day this past February when he came across a building on fire and a woman screaming, "My daughter, she's inside! My daughter!"

The daughter was a disabled middle-aged woman who uses a wheelchair. She had become trapped as she tried to crawl out of the house to safety. Ousmane ran inside the burning building, carried her outside, put her in his cab to rest and waited until emergency personnel arrived.

"I just did it because, I think, if one of my family or my friend or my wife [were] in one of those circumstances, I would do it, too," Ousmane says.

Alfred LaGasse, Chief Executive Officer of the TLPA, said this year's awards committee was moved by more than just Ousmane's selfless acts in naming him Taxicab Driver of the Year."When we read through testimonials for Ousmane, what was so clear was that he does these things without thinking of himself. He's known at Denver Yellow Cab as the 'humble hero,' and this is surely a man who deserves to stand up and be recognized. His commitment to helping others in whatever way he can is truly inspirational," LaGasse says.

Born in the West African nation of Senegal, the 41-year-old Ousmane came to America in 1998. His first job was working the nightshift at a convenience store until several fellow Senegalese who had also relocated to Denver urged him to try driving a taxicab. His dream, he says, is to be able to give something back to the children in Africa.

Ousmane will accept the award on Oct. 6 in front of nearly 1,000 industry leaders at the TLPA's annual convention, held this year at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. This year marks the 91st Annual Convention & Trade Show for the TLPA, and is the world's largest gathering of for-hire fleet executives.

Established in 1917, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) is a non-profit trade association of and for the private passenger transportation industry. Its extensive membership spans the globe to include 1,000 taxicab companies, executive sedan and limousine services, airport shuttle fleets, non-emergency medical transportation companies, and paratransit services. For more information, please visit www.tlpa.org.