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City waiting to make decision on idea of mandatory taxi fare prepayment

The City of Thompson’s public safety committee wants to wait and see the results of a pilot project in Winnipeg before deciding whether to incorporate mandatory prepayment of fares into the taxicab bylaw. During a Jan.
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The City of Thompson’s public safety committee wants to wait and see the results of a pilot project in Winnipeg before deciding whether to incorporate mandatory prepayment of fares into the taxicab bylaw.

During a Jan. 28 meeting at the Thompson Regional Community Centre, taxi owners and operators raised the issue of making prepayment mandatory.

Licence inspector Frank Sharpe told Thompson Fire & Emergency Services Chief Mike Bourgon and city manager Anthony McInnis in an email that a pilot project regarding prepayment of taxi fares began in Winnipeg Jan. 1 and continues until June. Sharpe said a Winnipeg parking authority representative told her that many drivers are there are still only collecting money in advance when they feel it is necessary, with 15 violations of the policy having been logged by Feb. 4. Sharpe recommended that the city not move ahead on instituting mandatory prepayment of taxi fares until results from Winnipeg’s pilot project can be analyzed.

Deputy mayor Les Ellsworth said he supported waiting for the study.

“Who’s going to enforce it?” he said. “I know we don’t have what we need in place to support enforcement.”

Staff Sgt. Chris Hastie, the Thompson RCMP detachment’s acting officer-in-charge, said he likes the idea of mandatory prepayment because it is becoming more common for police to receive calls from taxi drivers who have been ripped off, but there isn’t always a lot RCMP can do.

“Sometimes our hands are tied,” he said. “We can’t go busting down doors.”

Committee chair Coun. Brian Lundmark wasn’t sure if waiting for bailing on taxi fares to become an epidemic was the way to go. 

“I don’t know if we stop it right now or wait until it escalates,” he said.

Coun. Duncan Wong said the same problem existed 30 years ago and that drivers can reduce the chances of it happening by making passengers place their groceries or cases of beer in the trunk.

“You want to run, run,” in that scenario, he said.

Under Thompson’s taxicab bylaw, drivers are allowed to request a reasonable approximation of the fare from someone if they believe that person can’t or won’t pay the fare, though they must return any difference between the amount collected in advance and the actual fare once they reach the destination. 

Right now a driver could ask for prepayment for every single fare if they wanted to, said McInnis. 

“There is that option,” he said. “Currently it’s just awkward."

Bourgon suggested taxi drivers could informally establish a standard prepayment amount to request when they feel it is necessary, such as $10 for a one-way trip or $20 two ways, so that passengers don’t’ feel singled out when they are asked for a higher prepayment amount than they are used to or think is reasonable.

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