Cab drivers seek support amid falling fares

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This article was published 24/03/2020 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Taxi dispatchers in Winnipeg are calling for government support to maintain essential service levels as hundreds of taxi drivers may be forced to park their cabs to avoid losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The taxi industry is in a crisis situation because of the measures put in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” Tarlochan Gill, chairman of the Unicity Taxi board said.

“Day by day our business is decreasing. So we have no choice, if drivers want to sit home because of their families, we cannot force them,” he said. “We are the front line of services. We need some kind of support from government.”

Business has plummeted following the arrival of the virus in Manitoba and the closures of schools, businesses and casinos. However, there are those in the community who still rely on taxis to go to medical appointments, grocery shopping and work, Gill said.

But without financial support to buffer the industry against inevitable revenue losses, there may be few taxis available to dispatch.

“Within this week, the way we have business, people will stop working on the roads,” Gill said. “It’s worthless for sitting in the parking lots or in front of the hotels for hours.”

Less than half of Unicity and Duffy’s taxi vehicles were on the road Monday, spokesmen for both companies said. 

The newly formed Winnipeg Community Taxi Association is lobbying all three levels of government to support the industry during the pandemic. The association wants to see income support for drivers, financing programs to ensure the industry can recover when demand returns, access to personal protective equipment and insurance premium coverage or deferrals.

Duffy’s Taxi board member Balbir Brar said waiving or postponing insurance fees for a few months, coupled with income support, could persuade owners to keep their cars on the road.

“Business has pretty much collapsed,” Brar said. “Eighty per cent of our customers are seniors, and seniors are staying home.”

Taxi drivers will demonstrate by way of a cab convoy this afternoon that will proceed from the provincial legislature to Winnipeg city hall, Brar said.

“We are asking owners to continue to provide the customer service, and we’re asking the public at the same time to be aware of the crisis going on right now and to support us,” Brar said. “We’re going to see what the government will say. We’re still running so far, and we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”

Drivers are willing to keep working, Gill said, but as fares evaporate, each day is less sustainable as they are still expected to pay insurance premiums and dispatch fees.

Many Duffy’s Taxi owners are already providing services at a loss, Brar said Monday, and morale at the company is low. Last Thursday, colleague and driver Balvir Toor, 44, was slain while on duty in Winnipeg’s William Whyte neighbourhood. Winnipeg Police have arrested and charged 20-year-old Okoth Obeing with second-degree murder.

“A lot of drivers are afraid and we’re asking government to help out with support,” Brar said.

A spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance said an announcement affecting all insurance customers, including taxi and vehicle-for-hire policy holders, is expected in the “coming days.”

The association has also asked Manitoba Health to declare the group an essential service to allow companies to purchase personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, during the pandemic.

The City of Winnipeg, which regulates vehicles for hire and taxis within the city, did not accommodate an interview Monday.

“COVID-19 has caused significant challenges for all service-based industries, including Vehicles for Hire, and we are continuing to discuss and work with the industry to ensure the availability of vehicles for residents,” City of Winnipeg corporate communications manager David Driedger said in an email. “Operators will make decisions independently on the level of service they’re able to provide, in following with the requirements of the (Vehicles for Hire) By-law.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca