Company owner calls proposal 'utterly ridiculous'

Iqaluit is mulling major increases in the cost of the various licenses taxi drivers need to do business, and one industry representative warns that will mean fare increases.

Rod Mugford, the Iqaluit's chief municipal enforcement officer, floated a list of increases at a city council meeting March 25 that would see some fees double or even triple.

A livery license, which all cab companies need to do business would jump from $500 to $1,000 per year. A license for each car used as a taxi would cost $300, up from the current $100, and the annual cost of a taxi driver's license would double, from $100 to $200.

The proposal isn't exactly being welcomed by the Iqaluit taxi industry.

"It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous," said Craig Dunphy, owner of Pai-Pa Taxi, the capital's largest cab company. "When I have to fight with this council for two years to get a 20 per cent increase in the fare, and now they just want to go behind… everybody's back and try to propose increases that are between 100 and 300 per cent, they're nuts."

With 50 to 60 cars under the Pai-Pa banner, the vehicle fee increase alone will cost his company thousands of dollars per year. That cost will have to be passed on to passengers, Dunphy said.

During January's budget deliberations, councillors directed city staff to review a fee structure that hasn't changed in five to seven years. Mugford also touted the increase as a way to boost revenues for the city, though there are no figures on how much money they'd provide.

But councillors appeared to lose their appetite for racing ahead with the changes.

Coun. Glenn Williams said the city needs to justify the hikes. He offered a motion to approve the increases in principle, though nothing will go into effect until the new rates go before the taxi advisory committee and are posted around town. Council passed the motion unanimously.

"I just want to ensure we do consultation with the community," Williams said. "There are some substantial increases."

The taxi advisory committee hasn't met since December. A meeting scheduled for January was cancelled due to poor turnout, and it isn't clear when the next one will be held.

The committee will have plenty to discuss. Councillors Simon Nattaq and David Alexander each said they've been getting complaints from residents about smoking in cabs, and drivers who are so new to town they need directions from their passengers. Nattaq called for a public meeting on the city's taxi issues.

"It will probably help the taxi drivers do better," he said.

Dunphy welcomes a taxi committee meeting too, and he vows to fight the fee increases. But he also figures the hikes are a foregone conclusion.

"I think they [council] are going to do whatever they damn well please."