Safety a concern with ride-sharing recommendations: taxi company

Recommendations about regulations surrounding ride-sharing are set to be presented to Regina’s Executive Committee but the taxi industry is taking issue with a few of them.

A report from administration recommends criminal record checks for drivers and annual vehicle inspections by an SGI-appointed mechanic.

As well, ride-share drivers would be prohibited from accepting street hails or picking up passengers from taxi stands.

The report does not recommend minimum fares, mandatory cameras in vehicles or a cap on the number of licences.

Glen Sali, owner of Capital Cabs in Regina, said the mayor had said it would be a level playing field for the industry, but that’s not the case.

“We need to think about hundred of taxi drivers that rely on this on their income and they’ve got families to feed, put food on the table.”

Sali said his main concerns are if the needs for public safety are being met. He said a survey was done that said 70 per cent of people wanted regulations for ride-sharing companies to be the same as taxis.

Sali said it was in the public interest to have cameras regulated by the city be mandatory for vehicles.

Mayor Michael Fougere spoke on the 980 CJME Greg Morgan Morning Show about the recommendations coming to executive committee, indicating the safety technology is built into the app.

“The driver knows the passenger, the passenger knows the driver and there’s a record of how well each one is treated so the passenger can say no to that driver because they know there’s been some issues with other passengers that have took them,” Fougere said.

Sali said that still doesn’t provide the same safety service camera does, noting police took the drives out of 24 cameras last year despite not a single robbery taking place.

He also said there is an issue with drivers not needing a class four license to drive people around.

“There’s a medical (check up) that goes with that class four license and it’s a more professional driver.”

Sali believes there should be an increase in the restrictions when it comes to commercial drivers, not relaxing them.

Sali said there are also concerns over driving only requiring a criminal record check, noting taxi drivers have lost their taxi badges without anything going onto their criminal record.

“There have been drivers who have lost their taxi badge because something happened and they pulled their taxi badges away from them. Now they don’t get a criminal record, they could still continue driving under a class five.”

With no caps on the number of licenses ride-sharing companies can hand out, Sali believes there will be too many drivers out there with not enough demand.

“If you put on so many, you’re going to starve somebody out, people need to make a living, you can’t just rely on the entire industry to be part-time.”

Sali said he doesn’t know what this will do to the taxi industry in Regina, noting there has to be a middle point found between the industries.

Fougere admitted it is a disruptive technology that will cause changes in the market.

“This is going to provide a better service for residents.”

If the recommendations are approved by executive committee, they would go to city council for final approval.