Issues concerning the taxi industry took up a lot of last night’s CommonCouncil meeting.
The Taxi Advisory Committee was looking to have first and second reading of changes to the current taxi by-law. It wants greater definition and clarity surrounding meters, keep rates as is until a review in 2018 and have a permanent taxi industry program implemented.
The committee told councillors there are some cabbies out there giving the city a black eye and gave an example of four people being picked up at the Delta Hotel and driven to the Saint John Airport, which is a $30.00 metered trip, but were each charged $30.00.
We have been told by a long time cab driver that if you go along Loch Lomand Road from the uptown to the airport, the charge would likely be $24.50 but if you go by the highway, the fare will be $31.80.
Council agreed to make changes in the way taxis do business and there was a call to have a real education component for the industry about these changes.
