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Minister wants to extend deadline for mandatory cab shields

By: Lindsey Wiebe

Posted: 10/22/2010 4:21 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 10/22/2010 5:19 PM | Updates

Steve Strong, president of Custom Plastic Creations Inc., poses with a taxi cab safety shield at his company. (WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said he’s asked the province’s Taxicab Board to look at extending a looming deadline making it mandatory for taxi owners to install new safety shields, after the city’s largest cab company refused to buy in over design concerns.

Winnipeg taxi owners have been given until Nov. 1 to install new shields aimed at better protecting drivers. It’s been a rough year for city cabbies, who’ve suffered stabbings, beatings, pepper sprayings and physical assaults on the job.

Drivers have two choices: a full shield that divides the front and back of the taxi, and an "L" shield that encloses the driver’s seat.

But Unicity Taxi board president Gurmail Mangat said both options are problematic. Unicity wants more time to consult on a new design, he said, and barring that, the company’s taxis will keep operating without the shields.

"If the taxi board has problems, they can ground us. They can put us out of service," he said.

Taxicab Board secretary Joan Wilson could not be reached for comment today.

Mangat said the shield around the driver makes it impossible to adjust or recline the driver’s seat, and could make it hard for a driver to escape the vehicle in the event of an accident. Drivers who get a full shield will also have problems adjusting seats, he said, and besides that, won’t be allowed to take anyone in the front passenger seat, at the Taxicab Board’s orders.

"Then we lose ridership," he said.

Naylor Technology owner Glen Naylor said concerns about his company’s L shield aren’t true, and said they consulted heavily with the industry while designing the shields.

"You can fully recline the seats, you can fully adjust the seats, and we showed and demonstrated that as far back as May of this year," said Naylor, adding the shields can be easily removed by drivers if necessary.

Ashton said today he’s aware of design concerns over one of the shields, as well as concerns about the ability to meet the deadline, which was announced in August. He said he’s asked the board to look at delaying it.

"Our goal here is enhanced safety," he said.

The uncertainty puts business in limbo for both companies selling the safety shields.

"We are sitting on a lot of money, a lot of product, ready for this deadline," said Steve Strong, whose company Custom Plastic Creations sells the full shield.

Strong said he has around 80 shields sitting around without takers and has bought the materials for another 150. He said he’s considering legal action if the situation can’t be resolved. The cost for a taxi owner to buy one of the shields is around $495.

Drivers from other taxi companies have gradually startled to trickle in to get shields, said Naylor, but he said he’s waiting for clearer instructions on how to proceed.

"We can’t put several hundred thousand dollars of product on the shelf waiting for those guys to come in on the last week," he said.

Both Naylor and Strong said they’ve sold around 50 shields each so far.

Ken Wiebe with Spring Taxi wouldn’t comment on the issue Friday. Representatives of Blueline Taxi and Duffy’s Taxi could not be reached.

The new regulations also call for emergency strobe lights atop taxis as of Nov. 1. A staff member at Fort Garry Industries, which stocks the lights, said they’re selling well so far.

lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 5:19 PM CDT: updates with minister wanting extension

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