Taxi service on St. Patrick's Day a go after 'successful' meeting with government
N.L. Taxi Alliance had warned there would be no cabs operating on the Avalon
A meeting between government and the taxi industry has produced a truce of sorts, for now — cabs will offer service on St. Patrick's Day.
Service NL Minister Sherry Gambin-Walsh and members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Taxi Owners Alliance met Friday at 2:30 p.m.
"We had a very fruitful conversation here this afternoon. The government is going to look at some of the items that we brought forth, to see what it is that they can implement in the meantime, to help not just our industry but to help the motoring public overall," said Doug McCarthy, who is part of the taxi alliance.
"We're working well together," said Gambin-Walsh.
We've come to an agreement that there is a number of issues and concerns that the taxi alliance has, and government is willing to work with the taxi alliance," she told reporters following the meeting.
The two sides will meet again in three weeks.
Friday's meeting difused tension which had been ramping up over several weeks.
On Thursday afternoon, McCarthy said if government didn't agree to a meeting, cab drivers would not take calls on Monday, March 12 from 9 a.m. until noon.
"Don't bother calling because the phones won't be answered," he said.
The cab drivers say their insurance rates have skyrocketed over the past four years, with an 18.6 per cent increase on March 1, and a further 24 per cent coming later this year.
The provincial association of taxi owners is calling on government to freeze insurance rates until a review of the system by the Public Utilities Board is completed.
They also take issue with the tax on insurance bills.
"You have to realize that the taxes as a whole are under an entire government review," Gambin-Walsh said. "That is ongoing. We will wait for the results."
Still, the taxi alliance sees the outcome of the Friday meeting as a victory.
"Any time you get to talk to the minister in charge of insurance is a good day," McCarthy told CBC.
Police inspections angered drivers
Tempers flared on Thursday when safety inspections by police had McCarthy accusing the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary of a form of "payback" for recent protests by cab companies.
"The RNC and the provincial Department of Transportation are pulling over all of the taxis and giving them safety inspections. For any minor infraction, you are either going to be ticketed or the plate will be pulled off your car, depending on the infraction," he said.
Police denied that was the reason, and Justice Minister Andrew Parsons scoffed at the notion.
"Does anyone think I would ask the RNC to target anybody? Like, that's ridiculous. I would never do that," Parsons told reporters Thursday.
With files from Janelle Kelly, Zach Goudie and Terry Roberts