Editor:
Taxicab bylaws must change, incidents concerning RCMP and Canmore Bylaw Services need to be shared between agencies. The cracks between these two agencies are growing deeper each day.
I have been a taxicab owner/operator for the past 35 years in three provinces – yes, that sounds crazy, however the last 11 years in Canmore have been the hardest. The lack of enforcement and the ongoing changes in bylaw enforcement have been on the decline.
Taxicabs are often the first point of contact for the majority of visitors, yet with no interest by the Town of Canmore to regulate rates, or enforce vehicle standards. Visitors will often get unprofessional drivers and below standard vehicles. Current rates that are determined by each company are very different and often undercut due to competition. This has created an environment of distracted driving violations. RCMP will overlook violations, pointing their finger at bylaw enforcement and so the merry-go-round goes.
Safety must be the first consideration while transporting passengers, as is the safety of each driver. Dispatchers are drivers and often answer phones while transporting. It is only a matter of time before these lines become fatal. The Taxicab Bylaw needs radical re-writing and the Town of Canmore needs to respect its visitors. Taxicab rates that are not regulated, or enforced, leave a blemish on the Town of Canmore.
Taxis are compared to pizza companies – currently there are nine cab companies. They are able to decide rates and allowed to run without proper oversight. Plates and vehicles are switched at random. Price gouging occurs throughout the year at the various whims of each company/driver.
This said, without taxi meters and enforced vehicle standards, this industry will be stagnant and the town of Canmore, one of the most expensive places in Alberta, will continue to endorse below standard taxicab service and continue to support an environment of unsafe distracted driving volitions.
Grant Joyce,
Canmore
