SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Taxi drivers are ready to go on strike if the city doesn't put a freeze on taxi licences, cabbie Mohammed Basha warned city councillors at Monday's municipal services committee meeting.

"They've lost faith in the city (in) dealing with this issue," he said. "Ninety-five per cent of us are ready to go on strike."

After working 10 hours on Monday, taxi driver Mohammed Basha had made $123, a little more than $12 an hour. Basha is one of many frustrated taxi drivers who wants the city to put a freeze on licences. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Basha said they aren't making enough money and with too many cabs on the road they struggle to make ends meet.

"It doesn't make sense for us to work for an hour to get one $5 fare," he said, adding they are prepared to strike for a lengthy period of time. "One or two months. It's not a threat. I'm warning: we need a solution to this problem.

"We need the freeze for the small fish, for the cab drivers."

Basha started work Monday morning at 6 a.m. and 10 hours into his shift, he had made $123, a little more than $12 an hour.

"We can't live making money like this," he said.

In the downtown area late Monday afternoon, City Cabs had 23 cars on duty. In instances such as this, Basha said he will wait up to 45 minutes before he gets a call.

"The city doesn't care about us at all."

John Dinn, a driver for Diamond Cabs, said he won't continue to drive if his fellow cabbies go on strike, but he questioned their timing.

"It's the wrong time to do it," Dinn, a 30-year veteran in the industry said. "You do that in the wintertime. Striking now would just make things worse."

He said it's hard to make money in the business, but striking is not the way to do it. Dinn also said the companies have created the problem they are facing.

"They put on three times as many cars as they need and now they're stuck with all those cars on the road," he said. "It's a hard thing to fix and it's not going to be fixed in a hurry."

Dinn added the city shouldn't be tangled up in the running of a business.

"They don't run the corner stores or other businesses," he said.

Half a dozen taxi drivers showed up early Monday afternoon to show opposition to the re-vamped livery bylaw to regulate taxis in the city. The discussion was put on hold after public access to the city website wasn't available in the days leading up to the meeting.

Prior to the bylaw discussion being put on hold until July 20, Basha spoke up about the concerns of drivers. He referred to the 20 or so cabbies who attended the Jan. 5 meeting, a four-hour marathon during which the issue was discussed and how few were in attendance this time, showing drivers were fed up with the city.

Mohannad Soliman, general manager of City Cab Ltd, agreed drivers have lost faith in the system.

Among a list of suggestions to city councillors and administration, Soliman said the city should put a two per cent yearly increase limit on licences rather than a freeze.

"The issue is there are too many cabs on the road," Soliman said.

Dennis Marchiori, director of public safety, said putting an annual increase on the number of licences given out, like putting a freeze in place wasn't something they were willing to entertain.

"We went over it and it's the same as doing a freeze," Marchiori said.

Soliman said no matter what happens the changes in the bylaw will affect the industry.

"Whatever will be done will affect so many people and their families whether in a positive way or negative way," he said.

Attempts to contact Ted Yaceyko, president of Diamond Cabs, were unsuccessful as he was on travel.