Don’t forget to smile: an Iqaluit cab firm’s installing cameras

The owner of Caribou Cabs in Iqaluit is hoping to have security cameras installed in all his vehicles by the end of 2016. (PHOTO BY STEVE DUCHARME)

Next time you’re inside a cab in Nunavut’s capital, take a look around — you might see an electronic eye staring back at you.

That’s because Caribou Cabs, one of Iqaluit’s two biggest taxi companies, is moving forward with plans to install digital security cameras in its fleet of cars.

Caribou Cabs co-owner Danny Savard said safety is the main reason for the overhaul, and the cameras will provide protection for driver and passenger alike in disputes.

For him, the simple presence of a camera is the best deterrent.

“Just because there’s cameras — everyone will think twice before they act up in the cab,” Savard said.

Savard’s goal will be to have all 40 Caribou taxis outfitted with the devices by the end of 2016.

The first installations will begin in October, but may be completed earlier than planned.

“I’m just giving myself a bit of lag time because it’s about $1,500 a unit and a good two to three hours of installation. We’ll start phasing them in — one or two cars every two weeks,” Savard said.

Two cameras will be installed in each taxi, located near the rearview mirror, and will automatically record time-lapse photos when triggered by clients opening the passenger doors.

They are also capable of recording audio.

If privacy is a concern, Caribou Cabs wants the public to know that all footage from the cameras will be accessible only to the ownership and if requested by authorities.

“The driver does not have access to the footage — only the owners of the company will have full access,” Savard said.

The dash cameras will also only store about a week’s worth of video and will automatically delete older files if left alone by management.

The announcement by Caribou Cabs comes after a series of recent altercations between cab drivers and passengers.

Last week, a passenger attacked a cab driver with a weapon and demanded money. After a short altercation the suspect fled the cab on foot.

In May, a Pai-Pa cab was stolen while it was idling unattended outside the legion.

The vehicle was later involved in a head-on collision near the Nunavut Court of Justice building.

Thieves made away with $300 in March after attacking a cab driver outside the Storehouse bar.

Savard says no incident in particular prompted his decision to install cameras but he feels the number of disputes between drivers and passengers in his fleet has made cameras inevitable.

“We’ve had enough incidents in the company now to warrant cameras.”

Savard expects the overhaul will cost Caribou Cabs approximately $100,000.