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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - City councillors expressed support on Monday for overhauling the current bylaw regulating taxi licences following a nine-month freeze on taxi licences to study the industry.

Around 20 taxi drivers came with comments and complaints during a four-hour-long marathon municipal services committee meeting on Monday, touching on all seven directions proposed for the potential new bylaw - and more.

Vaughn Del Valle, taxi driver for Diamond Cabs, recently lost his appeal in the NWT Supreme Court after he was fined $100 for not wearing a seatbelt. - Cara Loverock/ NNSL Photo

Easily the most controversial component of the bylaw change was a recommendation from city administration: to allow the market to determine the number of taxis.

Between City Cabs and Diamond Cabs there are about 125 cars. From 105 cabs, an additional 20 taxis hit the road at the end of 2007 during the short time between a committee meeting held to discuss the freeze and a council vote that authorized it.

"Quite frankly, drivers were better off before we started talking about a temporary freeze," said acting mayor Mark Heyck, referring to the spike in licences the freeze-talk sparked.

This time around appeared no easier as even those in the taxi industry could not agree on a licensing moratorium or a free market.

"I'm the one who decides when we have enough (taxis)," said Ted Yaceyko, president of Diamond Cabs.

Yaceyko added putting a moratorium of taxi licensing is "undemocratic."

But some drivers said a freeze limiting the amount of taxis in the city - especially curbing those who come in seasonally to "cherry-pick" the best times - is an important step in ensuring current drivers can make a decent living.

"I have to make $130 every day, day in and day out, before (I) make a nickel for (my) family and that is not being taken into consideration," said Vaughn Del Valle, referring to fees paid to the taxi company and money spent on gas.

"Freezing taxis is a very legitimate and very established practice across the country and I should say across the world," added Boris Stoitchev, another taxi driver who spoke at the meeting.

"We're not particularly looking to reduce (the amount of taxis), but we don't want to see an increase," he said.

"You can't just freeze (taxi licensing) forever," responded city councillor Bob Brooks, adding that cabbies would have more options if there were more taxi companies in town.

Dennis Marchiori, the city's director of public safety, led a review with members of the taxi industry in mid-December to discuss what should go into the new bylaw.

Despite the consultation, however, at least one member of the Yellowknife Taxi Drivers' Association told administration drivers felt no steps had been taken in the nine-month study period to seriously sit down with drivers.

"We haven't even begun to negotiate because nobody paid any attention to us," said Fadil Memedi, who represented the association during the licence freeze.

Memedi suggested nine months wasn't enough time "for everybody to discuss things" and instead proposed a five-year moratorium on licensing during which more negotiations could take place.

While city councillors agreed to revamp the bylaw, it won't be until next Monday's council meeting that it votes on the direction for what exactly the new bylaw will contain - including whether the number of licences will remain frozen.

Once councillors give the direction to rewrite the bylaw it will take another four to five months for a draft to be crafted, followed by further consultation and voting.

In addition to considering to freeze licences or leave it up to the market, there is also a recommendation to limit the number of taxi licences an individual can possess.

For instance, one Yellowknife cabbie currently holds 17 licences, meaning the driver possesses 17 cars licences as taxis. In this case, the multi-taxi owner rents the taxis out to others who want to drive a cab but can't afford one.

City administration recommended the number of allowable licences be reduced to three.

The move was largely supported by the drivers in attendance.

"The current situation is (one) where's there is a monopoly of plates ... the members see it as a very bad situation. Three seems to be a palpable level," said driver Luke Harrison, who also attended the city's December meeting.

Other proposals included making car colours uniform for each of the two companies, bumping licensing renewal from three years to one and implementing annual criminal checks to ensure those with sexual offence, drug trafficking and violent crime convictions are ineligible to drive taxis.