By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Cobourg will have a new taxicab bylaw, following public engagement and consultations with the town’s taxi industry to address the changing face (and rising prices) of the business.
The results include a new fee structure, replacing the one that has not changed since 2010, Councillor Aaron Burchat said at this week’s committee-of-the-whole council meeting. The cost to consumers has been balanced with the needs of taxi businesses to stay solvent.
There is now a pick-up charge of $4.75, legislative clerk Brent Larmer said, which means that the meter starts at $4.75 when the taxi picks you up. Thereafter, the fare is calculated with considerations of both time and distance taken into account.
For distance, the charge is $1.75 per km.
For time, they have instituted a 75-cents-per-minute charge that kicks in when a taxi must slow down to speeds below 26 km. an hour (such as in traffic jams) or must stop entirely (for a traffic light, a railroad crossing or for stops requested by the passenger).
“We have never incorporated waiting time, and it is a cost to the taxicab company,” Larmer said.
Regular customers who know it will cost a given amount for a trip they take with some regularity will pay more depending on delays and stops – but it will not be a great deal more.
This is a change on the old system of paying a fixed extra charge for a stop, Burchat added. Now a passenger pays for stops according to how long they take.
The seniors’ discount no longer applies on fares below $10, Larmer said, but seniors can qualify for a 10% discount on fares above that amount. And a driver is entitled (if he or she wishes) to ask for proof of age.
In terms of consumer cost, Larmer said, this puts Cobourg in line with other municipalities of its size and larger. The owners are all on board with the new structure, he added.
Burchat said the discussions had all been positive, and he believes the outcome protects both consumers and taxicab companies.
One big gap is the lack of round-the-clock service, Councillor Brian Darling pointed out. But Larmer said that this must be a business decision for the companies to make.
The motion council passed authorized a bylaw based on Larmer’s report and urged staff to “develop and present detailed options to council regarding regulations to help support the introduction of accessible taxicabs in the Town of Cobourg and direct staff to invite and engage new and existing businesses to operate accessible taxis.”
Councillor Emily Chorley added an amendment to the motion, citing a promising ride-sharing accessible-transit project in Innisfil. That town has a secondary agreement to subsidize rider usage through a secondary agreement with private sources such as taxi companies. Also in Innisfil, the Red Cross also provides some degree of specialized transit services.
Chorley’s amendment asks staff to investigate this project and report to council by June 22 on the viability of such an initiative in Cobourg.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
