Local residents planning on ringing in the new year in Edmonton might have a hard time getting back home due to restrictions placed on St. Albert taxi companies.
Edmonton's Vehicle for Hire Commission started enforcing a bylaw in 2007 that prevents taxi companies not licensed by the city from picking up fares in Edmonton. In years past the commission had allowed taxi companies from satellite communities to pick up pre-arranged fares in Edmonton as long as the destination was outside Edmonton's boundaries. Ongoing violations by the Leduc-based Airport Taxi Service spurred the commission to start enforcing the no-pick-up bylaw on all companies.
"Unfortunately with the bylaw we can't bring anyone home," said Warner Stevenson, day manager for Lime Taxi. "You can take them in but we can't bring them back. Which really makes it unfair."
Despite an initial uproar when the commission announced its enforcement plans five years ago, there have been no changes since. Calls for dealing with Airport Taxi individually, which has since lost the exclusive right to take fares into the city from Edmonton's International Airport, went unanswered, as did a suggestion to join the Edmonton Vehicle for Hire Commission. It only recently increased its cap of cab licences by 100, but only in the wake of the new contract for airport service.
"There are no circumstances that overrule the bylaw," said Stevenson. "So if you're in Edmonton, the only way is supposed to be to take a city cab back to St. Albert."
That not only puts revellers in a difficult position on New Year's Eve, it also makes for an unfair market advantage year round for local companies, particularly because there are no similar bylaws for St. Albert. Helga Cobian, owner of Aaron Taxi, says Edmonton cabs will park at Superstore waiting for a call.
Both also say that city cabs will often refuse customers that want a ride back to St. Albert. Of those that will take fares to satellite communities, many are said to overcharge or engage in other unscrupulous business practices.
"Some drivers don't give change or if the person doesn't have enough money with them, but has more money at home, they will just drop them off as far as the money they have takes them because they don't believe they have enough to pay at the end of the fare," said Cobian.
The offices of the Vehicle for Hire Commission were closed for the holidays. Neither commission chair Charan Khehra or any other member could be reached for comment.
Aaron Taxi has already felt the sting of the commission's bylaw, according to Cobian. The company dispatched two vans for a prepaid fare in Edmonton. The company was subsequently fined $1,400.
"Maybe a good idea is to form a taxi commission here in St. Albert," Cobian suggested.
Transit service
St. Albert Transit is offering extended commuter service on Saturday night, but only for a couple of buses.
The 201, which heads into the downtown via Kingsway, will operate until the early morning hours, with the final bus leaving Edmonton at 2:10 a.m. for Village Transit Station. All service after 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 will be free.
The dial-a-bus will also be running, but only for drop-offs after 2 a.m.
