NNSL (Mar 25/98) - After six months of deliberation, Yellowknife city council unanimously enacted a new taxi bylaw Monday that caps the lifespan of cabs at nine years.

After six years of age, all cabs must be inspected twice annually. The bylaw is to take effect April 1.

The news isn't all bad for cab owners, however. On the same date, the base fare for a trip in a cab rises 30 cents to $2.45.

YK Cabs currently has eight cars that don't meet the standard, according to owner John Dalton. After the decision, one driver who will be affected by the bylaw said it will put people out of work and "ruin their lives."

Another YK driver, driving a 1988 model that is serviced weekly, said she can't understand how her car can instantly be considered a "deathtrap" as of April 1.

Ald. Bob Brooks made three last-minute attempts to amend the age restriction but his efforts were rejected by his colleagues. Brooks, a former cab driver himself, said he firmly believes that a vehicle's age isn't the most important factor, rather it's a stringent inspection process, which is also under review by city staff.

The council meeting was attended by many cab drivers from both local companies and the lines were clearly drawn.

A number of City Cab drivers said they favored the bylaw for safety purposes and because they had already spent money upgrading their vehicles to comply with the new legislation. They contended that by not enforcing the bylaw now, their competitors will get an unfair advantage.

Aldermen Dave Ramsay, Cheryl Best and Kevin O'Reilly agreed.

"To change (the bylaw) at this point is rather arbitrary and maybe unfair," O'Reilly said, adding that he would like to see age restrictions dropped in the future.

Dalton pointed out that many school buses are aging but the GNWT is trusted to keep them mechanically sound to transport children every day.

He also noted that the Insurance Industry of Canada demands annual inspections at 10 years of age. Both local cab companies also claimed to have 10-year policies for replacing their cars.