Some walked away ecstatic, with a new lease on life. Others left frustrated, saddened and feeling stuck.

Calgary cabbies crowded into a northeast hotel room Wednesday, hoping to receive one of 126 new licence plates released through an auction, granting them the freedom to dictate their own hours, avoid broker fees and earn a bigger paycheque.

And as numbers were drawn randomly from two spinning, squeaking, gold-painted barrels, a smiling, soft-spoken Mehmood Kiani became one of the day’s winners.

“I’m very happy. I won’t have to work so many night shifts now. I can see my kids more,” said Kiani, who has five children, aged seven to 22. “It will be good to be able to decide when I want to work and how.”

Girma Bayyish, who’s been driving for two years with Delta Cabs, also was a winner, and thrilled that he’s now his own boss.

“It’s really nice. When you work for yourself, everything is better.”

In a move designed to ease complaints about shortages and taxi-company control over drivers facing long hours and high rental fees, council approved the addition of 383 new taxis to the city’s fleet in a lengthy, emotional public hearing last month.

As part of the decision, the city released 126 of the plates Wednesday in hopes of easing demand before the Christmas peak. But drivers who were granted the new plates must work every Friday and Saturday night, two high-demand periods during which the city says customers want more available taxis.

About 200 cabbies gathered at the Executive Royal Hotel in the city’s northeast, hoping for a chance to win. But with nearly 2,000 applicants, and only a six per cent chance of winning, most cabbies walked away empty-handed.

“It’s tough without your own plate,” said Moshine Ahmed, who wasn’t a winner Wednesday.

“I keep working 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. And really, I don’t get many customers at those times. Especially during the week.”

Cabbies who applied for new plates but were not selected Wednesday will automatically have their names re-entered into the next draw to release the remaining 257 plates some time next year.

Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart hopes that because the holders of the new plates will have to hit the streets every Friday and Saturday, more cabs will be available during those late-night hours when bars and restaurants are closing.

“Hopefully this will make cabs available when they’re needed. It’s all about market demand.”

But Jeff Doepker, owner of FastCab, a mobile app that allows you to direct-dial the nearest available cab, says 126 new plates is a drop in the bucket for the demand of thousands of Calgarians who need cabs but can’t get them on weekend nights.

“This isn’t really going to help. The complaint is still accessibility,” said Doepker. “And we’ve heard from way more than 126 customers that the taxi system is broken.”

But Onkar Singh, who stopped in Wednesday just to watch the draw, worries more plates will mean too many cars on the streets.

“I am going to be out of a job soon. You will see.”