Iqaluit youth are throwing rocks at taxis — again
Caribou Cab drivers warn that unsupervised children may cause traffic accidents
Caribou Cab drivers are warning city officials that rocks thrown at taxis in Iqaluit have a potential to cause accidents and injuries. One supervisor is asking for a 10 p.m. curfew for youth. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Rocks hurled by young people in Iqaluit have caused an estimated $6,000 in damages to Caribou Cab’s fleet since June 21, said CEO Danny Savard in a letter to city council on Tuesday.
“It may only be a matter of time before someone is hurt,” he wrote.
The company, which maintains more than 80 vehicles, has reported nine instances of rocks thrown at their taxis to the city in the past two months.
“Our intention is not to blame, but rather to bring awareness to the seriousness of what is happening and work together on a solution,” Savard said.
While no drivers have been physically injured, the experience is unnerving, said Yannick Levesque, Caribou Cab’s nighttime supervisor, Thursday in an email.
“These events can cause mental trauma,” Levesque said. “Drivers get rocks thrown every night on their cabs.”
Levesque added that taxi drivers aren’t the only victims — regular vehicles are targeted as well.
He suggested a 10 p.m. curfew for youth could help.
Rock throwing is a recurring issue in Iqaluit.
Caribou Cab’s self-employed drivers staged a protest in September 2021, parking their vehicles over what they perceived as a lack of response to the issue.
The walkout caused bars and other businesses to temporarily shut down. Rock-throwing continued in subsequent years, however.
Half of the cab company’s drivers are owner-operators of their own vehicles.
Prime One Taxi also operates six cabs in the city. Drivers there have also experienced vandalism in the past, said driver Sam Naas.
“Someone broke my windshield at NorthMart last November,” he said.
Naas did not see who threw the rock.
“I wish I knew,” he said.
RCMP has investigated nine occurrences reported since June 1, said spokesperson Cpl. Ashley Daley, in an email on Thursday.
Daley declined to reveal the outcome of the investigations but did say police have increased “proactive” patrols both in the day and night.
Engagement by the RCMP and city officials helped curb the issue in the past, said Savard.
“We want to work collaboratively with local authorities and the community rather than simply react after another vehicle is damaged or, worse, after someone is injured,” he said.
City of Iqaluit spokesperson Geoff Byrne declined to comment on this story.
I wonder if they filed an official complaint?