Some Saint John taxi drivers are expressing concerns about new rules proposed by the city.
Under the new bylaw, cabs can be no more than seven years old, and all vehicles must be equipped with meters, at an installation cost of $400.
Drivers will also be tested on their knowledge of the city, but the change that is upsetting drivers most is the age requirement of the vehicles.
“Because of this bylaw, my vehicle is gone in the blink of an eye from a serviceable taxi to an unsafe vehicle to be on the road,” says driver David Gaudette. “How is that possible?”
Gaudette agrees there needs to be a cap on the age of taxis, but he says 10 years is more reasonable than seven.
He also says the city failed to consult with taxi drivers before drafting the proposal.
“In a five-year process, this is the very first time that taxi drivers have been informed as to what the city proposes,” says Gaudette.
Coun. Bill Farren is part of the review committee and says the terms of the bylaw are not yet official.
“The committee has already said we’re going to go out and meet Friday, put everything together and see if there’s a common thread through any of that,” says Farren. “If we see something that’s going to be a direct, positive result of this, then yeah, we’ll make the changes. I’m sure we will.”
The city laid out the new plans for taxi drivers Wednesday morning, and a second meeting was held Wednesday afternoon for the public and those in the tourism industry.
“Consistency is really the key. We’re predominantly concerned about the appearance that the cabs have for our tourists,” says Mike Belliveau of Hospitality Saint John. “A lot of times they’re the first people who tourists have an experience with and they’re the ambassadors for the city.”
Those who attended Wednesday’s meeting were invited to fill out a questionnaire about how they feel about the proposed changes. The third and final reading of the bylaw is expected to go to council at the end of this month or beginning of July.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
