Taxi fares could soon cost more in Lethbridge
Lethbridge taxi users may have to shell out a bit more for a trip.
City council has voted to make amendments to a bylaw that will deregulate taxi rates, removing the maximum and minimum charges and more.
"I don't think this is anything any of the companies expected to see happen," said Michael Arend, co-owner of Fifth Avenue Cabs and 94 Cabs.
During Tuesday’s meeting, city council voted to prepare an amending bylaw that will see the deregulation of taxi rates.
The move comes following a request by four Lethbridge taxi companies back in September to have rates raised by around 18 per cent to address inflation.
However, some members of council and the community safety standing policy committee felt it was time to get rid of the regulations altogether.
"There was a time and place for cities and municipalities to be in the business of helping regulate the industry and all that but I always felt, over time as industries change with Uber and business models, that it's kind of archaic in the way we were doing it," said Lethbridge deputy mayor Ryan Parker.
"We were telling businesses that this is the price you have to set, so I felt that it’s time for us to evolve and change and I think the committee felt that."
Council put it to vote, which went through 7-1, directing administration to prepare the amending bylaw and capture all changes before it comes back in front of council.
If the upcoming amendment passes, it would remove the regulation of taxi fares, meaning companies can decide their own rates, the requirement of having a meter device and removing the requirement for a top light.
It would also remove the requirement to have a maximum rate posted on a window sticker.
Some users are concerned about the deregulation of taxi rates saying trip costs are already expensive enough.
KEEPING THOSE STICKERS
Some local taxi companies say they plan on keeping those stickers for the benefit of their clients.
"You know what you're getting charged when you get into one of our cars," said Arend.
"It's simple advertising and you're well aware of what your trip could cost, or at least what the breakdown of that cost is."
Some users are concerned about the deregulation of taxi rates saying trip costs are already expensive enough.
"It is a huge mistake and if cab services are deregulated it's going to cost the citizens of Lethbridge even more in the long run," said Lethbridge resident, Ruby Miklos.
"Taxis are kind of like a last resort sort of thing because they're already expensive," added Anthony Dardon, a student at the University of Lethbridge.
"By doing that, I can't see how that could possibly be a good thing, especially not having meters."
Arend says he hopes most companies will choose to keep a fair price for the sake of the business and residents.
"While Lethbridge is a fair size word gets around pretty quick so hopefully that's enough to keep everybody in line and we'll see how it turns out I guess," he told CTV News.
City administration still needs to write up the new bylaw amendment before it can come back in front of council for approval.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.