Iqaluit city council vote to increase taxi fares by $1
New $8 per ride fare kicks in Oct. 8
A taxi sits outside Iqaluit city hall on Tuesday, Sept. 24, while city councillors voted to increase taxi fares in the city from $7 to $8, starting on Oct. 8. (Photo by Dustin Patar)
Iqaluit’s taxi fares will increase by $1 starting on Oct. 8, raising the price from $7 to $8 per ride.
City councillors voted in favour of the increase in a 4-2 vote at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The vote came after a taxi review committee meeting held on Sept. 19 unanimously passed a motion to bring the proposed increase to city council.
The elders’ fare will stay at $5 per trip.
Councillors Kyle Sheppard, Simon Nattaq, Jason Rochon and Kuthula Matshazi voted in favour. Councillors Noah Papatsie and Joanasie Akumalik voted against.
“When we look at just inflation over the period of time since the last increase, that justifies being set at $8,” Sheppard said.
With the new increase, city council will also make changes to Iqaluit’s taxi bylaw, which is expected to be finalized in the new year.
I expect our taxis, and their drivers, to be the safest operators on the road. Unconditionally. I expect them to never refuse a ride to Apex. Unconditionally. And we will enshrine that belief with conditions and requirements in the new bylaw along with harsh penalties for failure
— Kyle Sheppard (@Maqaiti) September 25, 2019
“I do look forward to finalizing the taxi bylaw and making those amendments. Putting measures in place to ensure that our taxi drivers are the safest drivers on the road,” Sheppard said.
Nattaq, who chairs the taxi review committee, noted that taxi fares in Iqaluit have not increased since 2014.
Papatsie said the increase will have a negative effect on people living on social assistance and others who already face obstacles to affording transportation.
“When there’s competition, people in the middle are hurt the most,” he said through translation.
Papatsie also suggested that council should look into ways of helping people who cannot afford transportation, such as by providing a city bus. He also encouraged the taxi companies to consider ways to support low-income customers.
Akumalik said although he saw both good and bad sides to the increase, he had to vote against it.
“There’s been a lot of comments from the community and I think the community indicated very well that they don’t want to pay much more right now. Especially those who are unemployed,” he said.
“It’s a hard one for us to decide because we’re dealing with people from Iqaluit who are trying to make a living and providing service to Iqalungmiut to go back and forth. I recognize that,”
Drivers and staff from the city’s taxi companies also packed the small city council meeting room to listen to councillors discuss the increase.
Ronnie McGregor, a Caribou Cabs employee who attended the meeting, said he is happy to see the increase be approved.
“It will definitely make a difference to all drivers…. After five years of waiting, we can wait another two weeks as taxi drivers,” he said.
When asked about councillors’ comments about the need for improved safety standards for taxi drivers in the city, McGregor said he agreed that things need to change.
“We want to be the benchmark for safety, not only for the Arctic but for all of Canada.”
The benchmark for safety for all of Canada. That’s a laugh! Almost all of the old Crown Vics (like the one in the picture) don’t even have operable seat belts, not to mention that they are completely incapable of safely making it up even a slight incline when it gets slippery outside! You want taxis to be safe and set a benchmark for the rest of Canada? Start with better/safer vehicles and then train your drivers on how to operate them, those would both be good starts!
Maybe itll be in the new bylaws and such. theres still a bunch of crown vics but they are slowly getting phased out. look at the positive the companies have made over the past couple of years and build on that. i also read in an other quote from a councilor that vehicles that are able to safely operate here should be added. rave to the councilors that are making changes and will continue to make changes.
Those vehicles should have been taken off the road years ago they are ancient, unsuitable for winter driving and completely dilapidated. No taxi operator who allows those pieces of junk onto the streets should be allowed to speak about setting a Canadian benchmark for safety.
Let’s see how much now Caribou cab will increase the cost of the dispatch fee…
Already cost 568$/week, plus if the driver rent a car from them..
Any idea how many rides per hour(or day) average a taxi gets?
In town fares are also $8 in Bridgewater
Thanks for letting us know who voted yes on this, because it will be voting no on them.
Good to know going into the elections. Wages havent increased with inflation. Why should cab fares?
Clean up your rides, those cars are always so dirty. Once again quit trying to pick up female passengers while you are working, that’s not why you’re driving a taxi and I assume most of you have families outside of Nunavut.