Seven suburban taxi companies have filed a court petition to get more cabs on the road in downtown Vancouver.
The companies, including North Shore Taxi, Sunshine Cabs, and Delta Sunshine Taxi, filed the petition in BC Supreme Court asking to stop a recent decision by the city of Vancouver that put 38 taxi licenses on hold.
“There was no option for us except to knock at the doors of the court,” said Mohan Kang of the BC Taxi Association.
The Passenger Transportation Board first granted the licenses to suburban cabs in 2012. Vancouver taxi companies sued over this decision and lost two years later. This past week city council voted unanimously in favour of putting all new licenses on hold for six months.
The exception would be for 78 full-time accessible taxis proposed by the Vancouver Taxi Association and under consideration by the board.
“The idea that suburban cabs, which we don't regulate in the city of Vancouver, have different standards, different approaches [and] would be here is a brand new development,” said Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs.
The 38 licenses would allow cabs from outside Vancouver to operate in the entertainment district on Friday and Saturday nights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until April 19, 2015.
“That is a peak time when most of the cabs are needed and they’re much in need,” Kang said.
Meggs said the city wants staff to research and report back on the development along with the potential impact of companies like ride-sharing app Uber.
“In my view the question of Uber is a much larger one and I guess if I was the industry I would work with other firms rather than try to fight with them legally,” Meggs said.
Currently, four taxi companies in Vancouver hold 588 licenses.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Maria Weisgarber
