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By Herb Mathisen
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, January 15, 2009

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Despite a lengthy presentation from a representative of the taxi drivers' association asking for industry regulation – including a licensing freeze – city council voted to have administration allow the marketplace to determine the number of taxis allowed on the streets when they draft an amendment to the livery bylaw.

The city has until June to amend the bylaw, but Dennis Marchiori, director of public safety, said he hopes to have it out much sooner.

A line of cabs outside Extra Foods on 48 street. City council voted Monday to recommend the market place decide how many taxis can take to the streets and not to implement a freeze in drafting a livery bylaw amendment. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

Fadil Memedi, representing the Yellowknife Taxi Drivers' Association, spoke at the meeting and said more cabs on the street means companies are making more money, while individual drivers make less.

"It's to the benefit of both companies to keep adding, but it's not to the benefits of the individual driver," he said.

He said cab drivers have to work 16-hour days in order to make $30,000 net a year, an "amount still inadequate" to live in the North. Memedi added he wanted the city to limit the number of cabs on the road -- suggesting the city impose a five-year freeze on issuing licenses.

Marchiori said there are currently 133 taxi licenses issued, with City Cabs holding around 75 of those licenses, and Diamond Cab owning the remainder.

Councillor David Wind tried to amend the recommendations given to administration to draft the bylaw, arguing to set a limit on taxi licenses based on service levels, in-use rates and fares.

"The more cars you put on the road, the longer time it is going to be between fares and the less each car is going to be used to actually transport people from one place to another," he said.

Cabbies will have a stronger argument for fare increases when they start earning less during their shifts, he said, which could become a "disadvantage to the people who use the taxis."

Licenses increase

Councillor Mark Heyck said the city is responsible for the increased number of licenses from the last time they issued a freeze in December 2007.

The threat caused individuals to scoop up licenses.

"The discussion of a temporary freeze is precisely what led to about a 30 per cent increase in the number of licenses," he said.

He argued that the time between the bylaw coming back before council – perhaps June – and now would see more people picking up licenses and said he believed the number of licenses will eventually drop.

Memedi said the association was not consulted during the nine-month freeze, when the city was to review the bylaw to see if changes are required. Six new licenses have been approved since the freeze was lifted. Wind and Kevin Kennedy voted for the amendment, with the remaining councillors voting against it. Councillors Shelagh Montgomery and Bob Brooks were not present at the meeting.

Councillor Dave McCann suggested the city instead limit the number of chauffeurs' licenses – people permitted to drive cabs – to limit the number of taxis on the street.

Other recommendations made to administration when they draft the bylaw include: restricting drivers convicted of sexual offences and violent crimes from operating taxis; allowing council to review taxi fares every year; to phase in restrictions on the number of taxi licenses an individual can possess; and to have all Yellowknife taxis use uniform colours.