Drivers take action over fares
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Mar 05/01) - There was a lot less traffic on the snowy streets of Iqaluit last Wednesday.
Cars and trucks still lined up at the four-way stop during the noon-hour rush Feb. 28, but not a taxi was in sight.
At least half of the community's 60 cabs gathered to protest a temporary 25 cent raise in flat-rate fares to $4, as opposed to the 75 cents they wanted.
"We are going around the city," said driver Jean Laliberte. "We stopped at the Town office, the CBC and the mayor's house."
As Laliberte spoke, while stopped in the NorthMart parking lot, a person approached his car.
"Sorry, we are on strike. No more cabs," he hollered through the window.
Iqaluit Town council passed the first reading of a new bylaw that would ensure better service on Feb. 27. It also intended to vote to proceed with a 75-cent increase before the third reading to calm angry cab drivers.
But several councillors voted five to two in favour of the 25 cent increase. Council suggested a possible 50-cent increase after monitoring service for three months.
Council met late Friday afternoon to reconsider the increase and "look at some type of solution," Mayor John Matthews said. "I don't know what that will be ... things may or may not change."
Iqaluit resident Janis Waroway said the strike may prevent her from getting to work.
"I might be in a position that I can't come to work," she said. Waroway lives along the road to Apex.
Laliberte was sorry for the inconvenience, but said the situation called for drastic measures.
"They have to do something now. We have to be all together, on the same front. "It takes what it takes to have the municipality move," he said.
