A number of taxi drivers in Saint John are continuing their battle against a new city by-law coming into effect in June.
One of the changes the bylaw would bring about is the installation of meters in all cabs.
Of New Brunswick’s three largest cities, Moncton is the only one where meters are required in taxi cabs.
“It will put the taxi business out of business probably in the city,” said Saint John city councillor Gerry Lowe said.
Lowe has been involved in the taxi industry most of his life. He still owns a couple of cars. He can’t vote on the issue because of a conflict but says the proposed rates are just too high.
“You can only charge so much,” he said. “If you charge a whole bunch more you don’t have any more business and they’re smart enough to know that.”
Not all fares will rise but some taxi operators allege some fares may go up by up to 60 per cent. One driver says it’s a lose-lose situation.
“They hurt the customer in the long run and they hurt the driver in the short run,” Kevin Ramsay said.
Ramsay recently conducted his own experiment in Saint John with a taxi meter calibrated to the city’s specifications.
Ramsay says the free open market should decide this issue.
“When it comes down to how we package and sell our product, I think it should be up to the industry itself and ultimately the market that we’re serving,” he said.
Members of the taxi industry expressed their frustration at a meeting last June before the bylaw was set. Lowe is hoping there can be some leeway.
“Maybe they can ask, until the economy picks up they can ask for an extension for a year or six months or two years to bring some of them in,” Lowe said.
The next step for the taxi industry in Saint John is for the taxi association to elect a new executive. That’s expected to happen within the next couple of weeks and legal options are also being considered.
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