By Jeff Labine

Safety concerns trigger talk of taxi bylaw

Jun 7, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Violence against taxi drivers has prompted a Prince Albert city council to ask for a bylaw to improve cab safety.

Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards told council Monday night he would like to create a bylaw that would require taxi companies to take steps to improve driver safety. Those steps could include placing a barrier between the driver and passengers, installing cameras, and prohibiting anyone from riding in the front seat at certain times.

Edwards said he has spoken with cab companies about his proposed bylaw and, so far, everyone appears on board.

“Reviewing some of the older news of the assaults and violence towards these drivers, as of right now, it is unsafe in Prince Albert for these drivers,” he said. “The companies and I have been in touch. They are willing to pay all expenses. This is what my proposal was to amend the taxi bylaw, which makes it mandatory to the points that I made, especially the shield between the front and back seat and cameras in the car.”

He said he used Thompson, Man. as a case study and how that city has dealt with improving cab safety.

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Although Prince Albert doesn’t offer an Uber or other ride-sharing services, Edwards said the bylaw would require those drivers to follow any changes to the taxi bylaw.

“This is for the safety of the drivers,” he added. “As we have seen in the past, the safety of the drivers can be in jeopardy.”

Although Edwards didn’t specifically mention any particular incident with a cab driver, assaults on drivers have made big news across the province. In one 2010 case, a Checker Taxi driver was scarred after a passenger slashed him with a machete.

This wouldn’t be the first time the city has tried to make driving a taxi safer. Back in 2014, the city passed an amendment prohibiting cabs from taking passengers to drive-thru liquor stores after hearing from drivers regularly the victims of violence, threats, and verbal abuse from people who weren’t legally allowed to buy booze.

Hetalkumar Patel, the owner of Grey Cab, said he supported Edwards’ proposal as long as all cab companies followed it. He said he could build a barrier himself but unless everyone does it, passengers will simply go to a cab that doesn’t have one.

“For a security reason, I am happy on that concept,” he said. “My driver was affected a couple months back. He was stabbed. At that time I talked with, I think, paNOW and city police as well. Having the bylaw enforced is a good idea but having five people doing it and seven people not, then it will affect the business.”

Pardeep Kumar, the owner of Checker and Family Taxi, spoke with Edwards about his proposal and said he supported it.

“It’s a necessity for the safety drivers who work the night shift,” he said. “Every month we hear of some minor incident like a driver has been robbed. Quite a few times it has happened.”

He said he understood there would be a cost to outfit all of his cabs, but the safety of the drivers comes first.

Any changes to a bylaw will require the support of the majority of council before it is implemented.

Prince Albert Police Service confirmed so far this year, there was one incident in January where a taxi driver was assaulted.

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter