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
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.