Vancouver taxi companies and tourism officials are promising action after a CTV News investigation found many taxi drivers were unaware of the names of key Olympic venues or how to get to them.
Taxi companies are giving their drivers crash courses on Olympic venues.
And Tourism Vancouver is distributing maps to cab companies that show all the Olympic venues and requiring drivers complete a training program before the Games begin.
"Taxi drivers are our front-line ambassadors for the city, for the destination and the Olympics,” said Rick Antonson, president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver.
Posing as out-of-town visitors, CTV News staffers hailed cabs to get to four key Olympic venues: Canada Hockey Place, the Richmond Oval, the Main Media Centre, and the Vancouver Olympic Centre.
As reported on Monday, only nine drivers out of 24 were familiar with the venues.
Cab companies insist their drivers will be ready by the time the Games begin.
Black Top cabs invited CTV News to a training session it provided its drivers Tuesday afternoon.
Company president Amrik Mahil said Black Top is holding training sessions three times a week, informing drivers of venues, road closures, and event schedules.
“We want them to look after the tourists,” Mahil said. “We’re very pro-active.”
Yellow Cabs is providing similar training to its drivers.
General Manager John Palis put part of the blame on Olympic organizers. He said VANOC had promised to keep the taxi industry informed and provide training seminars, but that never happened.
"Here we are now, we're two weeks away from the Games practically and nothing's ever come across,” he said.
That said, the company has put together its own guide for drivers showing lane closures, venue access and other information that may be of interest to tourists, he said.
Palis added that drivers can consult a help desk via their two-way radios if they need help getting to a location.
"By Games time, drivers will be ready,” Palis said.
With files from CTV British Columbia’s Stephen Smart
