With the arrival of a new driver service and the anticipated eventual arrival of rideshare services in the area, the Owen Sound Police Board will look into updating taxi rates and the licencing bylaw in the City.
At Wednesday's board meeting, members agreed to reach out to taxi companies in the city for input on rates as well as any suggestions for an updated bylaw.
Municipalities often set the taxi rates in their communities, and in Owen Sound, the Police Services Board oversees taxi licencing and rates.
Taxi rates have not changed for a few years now, and while Uber, Lyft and other rideshare companies are not in Owen Sound yet, police anticipate that sometime they will be.
Police Chief Craig Ambrose says they want to be ready for that, “We want a level playing field between the taxis and any rideshare services.”
Andre Govereau is a taxi operator who recently contacted the police board and Bayshore Broadcasting News to raise some issues about licencing and rates in the city.
Govereau wants police to consider inflation, saying for taxi operators, the costs of insurance, gas, maintenance and labour have been going up, but the money they can bring in stays the same.
Ambrose says Govereau's comments are being taken into consideration, “We'll look at some options and consult the taxi companies as to whether or not the rates and things that are set in the bylaw are sufficient and whether or not they're looking for change.”
During the board meeting there was discussion about a new driver service in town that police initially felt didn't fall under the taxi bylaw because it wasn't set up like a conventional taxi service, along with the bylaw, that is also being revisited.