North Battleford lawmakers approved a request from an applicant to open a new taxicab business in the city. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

New taxi company on the way

Apr 15, 2020 | 1:00 PM

North Battleford residents will now have more choices when they look for a taxi ride in the area.

City council approved an application from NB City Cab Inc. to open and operate its new business, with licences for four taxicabs currently.

Since the company is looking at the possibility of adding a fifth vehicle in the near future, the request needed to come to council for decision. Based on the city’s recently adopted vehicle for hire bylaw, any applications for operations with five cabs or more require council’s approval first to be able to proceed.

This is the first application the city received for a new vehicle-for-hire business.

“The vehicle for hire bylaw was changed last year in order to reflect some changes as it relates to ride-sharing platforms,” Mayor Ryan Bater said. “It also opened up the door for additional taxi cab companies. We do regulate licences but we don’t have a cap on them anymore. What this will provide is just another opportunity for residents of the city to access taxi cabs.”

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According to city junior planner Brett Kitchen’s report, drivers must submit annual criminal record checks to ensure riders’ safety before opening. The applicant already provided administration with information on the drivers’ names and the cabs’ vehicle registrations.

The business owned by Rashid Warraich will be operated from an office on 100 Street in North Battleford.

Kitchen’s report said the application meets the bylaw requirements and administration “does not foresee a negative impact to the community or saturation of the market with the addition of a second cab company, and four to five more licences at this time.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow