Vehicles for hire driver conduct update pushed back to council

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This article was published 06/04/2022 (1304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg council’s delay in adding new fines to penalize misconduct among vehicle for hire drivers triggered hours of complaints at city hall Wednesday.

More than a dozen women accused councillors of failing to take prompt action to protect female riders.

Rachel Sansregret told members of the public works committee she has been harassed in taxis multiple times. After repeatedly recounting details at public civic meetings over the past several weeks, she’s grown frustrated the new rules have yet to be put in place.

“It takes a lot to come here and face fear and trauma for days before and after I speak in this room, only to have this experience not only disregarded but blatantly disrespected at the municipal level,” Sansregret, chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Indigenous Friendship Centre, said during the meeting in council chambers.

Sansregret told the Free Press she’s been subjected to sexual harassment and lewd comments from cab drivers numerous times and was once driven nearly outside of the city against her will.

If the long-debated changes are approved, new fines for “inappropriate” behaviour would apply to drivers of limousines, taxis and ride-hailing vehicles, all of which are regulated by the City of Winnipeg.

Drivers would face $250 fines (after an investigation) if they: sexually harass a passenger or make lewd remarks toward them; insult, abuse, intimidate or threaten a passenger; ask a passenger for a tip or gratuity or indicate one is expected or required; fail to release a passenger from a vehicle at the passenger’s request; or accept or ask for collateral toward a fare payment.

Cora Morgan, a First Nations family advocate with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said the new rules would offer a “bare minimum” step toward keeping women and girls safe, who may rely on taxi rides when travelling for medical appointments and other reasons.

“There are lots of really vulnerable Indigenous people that rely on taxi service, so it’s very important there’s a standard of care,” Morgan told the Free Press.

Sansregret said she’s especially concerned by a political motion aimed to remove the fines proposal from the vehicles for hire bylaw update.

“It’s a glaring example of incongruencies between what our municipal government says they are willing to do to protect Indigenous women and girls, versus what they are actually doing.”

While the public works committee initially approved the misconduct fines in March, council later referred the matter back to the committee’s Wednesday meeting, along with a separate call to delete the new bylaw offences and fines.

Coun. Sherri Rollins deemed it a “scandal” the city would even consider removing that content, amid serious allegations linked to some cab rides and calls from Indigenous governments to address the issue.

Early in the meeting, Coun. Markus Chambers defended his motion to remove the misconduct fines from the bylaw and debate them next year instead. He said the motion was meant to strengthen the process to handle complaints.

“It wasn’t an attempt to delete it from the vehicles for hire (bylaw)… (The rules) didn’t go far enough to ensure the safety of individuals who are utilizing the service, primarily women,” said Chambers.

During last month’s council meeting, he also said postponing the new fines would help ensure taxi drivers are presumed innocent until proven guilty of an offence.

However, Chambers joined fellow public works committee members Couns. Jeff Browaty and Matt Allard to approve the fines proposal Wednesday.

(Coun. Devi Sharma, who also sits on the committee, was absent.)

The decision comes despite concerns from a lawyer representing the Winnipeg Community Taxi Association, who called upon the city to delay the matter.

Andrew Buck, of Pitblado Law, stressed the association doesn’t oppose the fines but is concerned bylaws don’t guarantee an investigation will be completed before a driver is penalized.

“Clear rules on… conduct and a fair investigation and enforcement process is one part of the solution,” Buck told the committee.

City officials have stressed each potential penalty would only be issued after an investigation is completed.

In a written submission, Buck said the city must also complete additional consultations to address driver safety concerns, noting drivers have been assaulted by passengers and frequently lose revenue due to fare jumping.

The changes still require full city council approval.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga