Saskatchewan taxi drivers, warning of a busy holiday weekend in Saskatoon, are again calling on the city to allow for what they call a “flex-service fleet.”
The Saskatchewan Taxi Cab Association says taxis will be difficult to find this weekend. A combination of Christmas parties, seasonal events and the Saskatchewan Rush home opener will create a “perfect storm,” the cab group wrote in a news release.
It wants the city to allow cab companies to adopt a flex-service fleet, which would allow companies to dispatch part-time vehicles during peak periods. The association claims city bylaws prevent extra cabs from hitting the streets during busy periods.
“Both Comfort Cab and United Cabs would like to have more cars on the road during busy peak times, but their hands are tied by City of Saskatoon taxi bylaws,” STCA spokesperson Shondra Boire said in the media release. "A flex-service fleet would allow more cars to be deployed when needed but without flooding our already congested downtown streets.”
Saskatoon city council discussed flex-service licences at a meeting earlier this month, following legislation from the provincial government allowing ride-sharing services to operate in Saskatchewan.
The flex-service fleet would follow existing taxi safety standards, according to the cab association.
