A Vancouver city councillor is pushing the city to address an increased demand for taxis spurred by B.C.'s new tough drinking and driving legislation.

Coun. Suzanne Anton says the city needs to address the taxi shortfall during peak hours because more people are taking public transit instead of driving and risking being hit with a roadside suspension or fine because of lowered blood alcohol rules.

Anton has asked Vancouver city staff to come back with recommendations about how to address the problem.

"Citizens are continually challenged by lack of taxi service, particularly when the buses and SkyTrain are not functioning during overnight hours," she said.

Anton said the solution might come in the form of temporary or additional licensing for taxi operators. In 2007, a major political effort by the Port of Vancouver, Vancouver City Hall and taxi companies secured 111 new taxi licences. But since then, there have been no new taxi licences issued.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson admits the city is dealing with taxi shortages in the early morning hours of Saturday and Sunday when partiers are leaving the downtown entertainment district.

Robertson said the city isn't necessarily focusing on gaining new licences but is examining ways to make the existing ones more flexible. During the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the city allowed taxis from other districts to come in during peak hours to pick up people stuck downtown.

He called the situation challenging.

"It's really difficult for any business community to adapt to one really intense period of business when the rest of the week, say for taxis, is not that busy," he said Friday.

Robertson said he hoped a pilot project in conjunction with taxi companies would be in place by the holiday season to ensure everyone has a ride home.

The mayor said the city has asked TransLink several times to bump up its late night and early morning transit options to make sure people aren't stranded in the downtown core.

"We'd like to see them increase it more, especially in the morning hours when we need it most."

NPA city council candidate Jesse Johl said Vancouver risks losing out on business opportunities if the restaurant and entertainment districts don't have enough taxis to service their customer base at night.

"The ripple effects to the city's economy could be devastating to service workers and business owners. Without a transit option, we need the support of the taxi industry to address the demand," Johl said.

City council is addressing Anton's motion at a meeting next week.

Vancouver has the lowest numbers of taxis per capita among major Canadian cities: one per every 1,067 people. In Toronto there's one cab for every 521 people, in Montreal there's one per 417, and in Calgary there's one per 941.

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