The Taxi Bylaw Review Committee will be meeting Friday to go over what it has heard from the taxi drivers to see if changes to the proposed bylaw need to be made.
Fares will be higher with meters than under the zone system. Councillor Bill Farren, a member of the taxi committee, concedes that is a concern especially for those people on fixed incomes or who can’t afford a car but you have to balance that with the need of taxi drivers to earn more money.
Despite the higher fares, the taxi committee believes the zone system is unfair compared to using meters to determine how much you have to pay.
Farren says the higher insurance coverage required is due to the number of American tourists in the city who are prone to launching lawsuits when accidents occur.
The Taxi Committee is proposing no increase in taxi license fees for 2 years and, after that, there would be a yearly review.
As for the age of cabs and those over 7 years old being taken out of service, Farren says if the cabs look too old and beat up, it reflects badly on the city.
