North Battleford moves to tighten taxi rules amid oversight gaps

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He said new internal processes will be developed alongside the bylaw to improve tracking and compliance.

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North Battleford moves to tighten taxi rules amid oversight gaps

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The proposed changes would require companies to maintain a minimum number of vehicles and drivers, while also mandating safety measures such as in-vehicle cameras and clearer identification.

The city currently lists six licensed taxi companies on its website, including Crown Cab, NB City Cab, VRide Cabs, Bridge Taxi, Gcab and Fast Taxi.

(Image Credit: City of North Battleford/website)

Council heard concerns about unlicensed drivers offering rides outside the system, particularly through social media.

“There’s a few online, on Facebook, on social media, that you can just phone for a ride that are not registered cabs,” Coun. Bill Ironstand said. “We need to properly manage that.”

City Manager Randy Patrick said the intent is to shift away from loosely regulated operators.

“This basically says… you have to be a real company,” he said, adding that drivers moving between companies would need to be reapproved.

“And every time that a driver changes, the cab company is supposed to inform us,” he said. “They can’t go to another cab company. They actually have to be re-certified, make sure that they’re OK.”

The bylaw would allow enforcement officers to stop vehicles, verify licences and remove unsafe or unlicensed vehicles from service.

Taxi companies would be required to operate 24 hours a day and meet minimum fleet and staffing levels, while drivers would need to obtain a city-issued licence supported by background checks and driving records.

The bylaw also includes provisions aimed at reducing fare evasion, such as requiring upfront deposits for trips within the city and full prepayment for trips outside city limits, along with defined conditions under which drivers may refuse service.

Patrick said the city is trying to balance safety with the realities of operating a taxi service.

Council did not make a decision on the bylaw. Administration plans to seek feedback from taxi companies and the public before bringing it back for further readings.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com