Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 21/00) - Both Yellowknife taxi companies want to raise their rates. City Cab Ltd. and YK Cabs Ltd. have each requested the city increase both taxi fares and meter flag rates.

The requests were introduced to council during the Public Services Committee meeting at City Hall yesterday.

John Dalton (left), owner of YK Cabs, says he has requested the city boost the start rate from $2.45 to $2.75 and the waiting time after the first three minutes from 40 cents to 50 cents.

Under the Livery Licence bylaw, present rates have remained constant since 1998, although Dalton says insurance, maintenance and fuel costs have gone up significantly.

"One of the things that we're asking them to do is to set up a timetable where they automatically review and assess the rates ... that there be some criteria established as to what the benchmarks would be," says Dalton.

Although YK Cabs proposed the city raise the start rate by 30 cents, City Cab has requested the rates be raised 70 cents higher -- up to $3.15.

Paul Billan, president of City Cabs, could not be reached for comment by deadline.

However, John Dalton explains how he calculated the 30 cent increase.

"I looked at what other communities receive ... we looked at the other factors of cost, the time frame that has passed since our last adjustment, the economic situation in Yellowknife, and through discussions with our customers -- it's a combination of all those factors," says Dalton.