Cabs getting more difficult to summon
It seems five local cab companies may be out of service – or, at the very least, their phones are.
It seems five local cab companies may be out of service – or, at the very least, their phones are.
City bylaw manager Dave Pruden said this morning the department will investigate why phone numbers for Yellow Cab, Quality Cab, Whitehorse Taxi, NorthStar Taxi and 5th Avenue Taxi are out of service.
The phone numbers listed for the companies have not worked since last Friday.
The city regulates cab companies in Whitehorse. Pruden said any company that goes out of business must return its plate to the city within five days.
As of late this morning, the city hadn't received any updated information about the cab firms.
"We haven't received any information about them (going) out of business,” Pruden said, though he noted bylaw will be trying to get in touch with officials from the companies.
Comments (6)
Up 14 Down 2
Max Mack on Feb 8, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Once upon a time, driving cab in Whitehorse guaranteed at least minimum wage for the drivers. Deregulation by WCB, YTG and CoW is continuing to gut this industry - making it ever more likely that the only people to survive are those who resort to shady business.
Meanwhile, liabilities have increased for owners and drivers alike.
Business owners can't survive - even in this currently deregulated environment. What does that say?
Up 20 Down 1
Charles on Feb 6, 2014 at 1:31 pm
40 years ago we had a choice of Yellow or Black Top. What happened? Calling either company guaranteed a safe ride home, even if the driver had to apologise for the lingering vomit from a previous passenger that he had tried his hardest to eliminate. So this is progress, 5 companies are using same dispatch service? Dispatch company folds; 5 companies are out of tariff & people wanting a cab are in limbo? Somehow the business planning & regulations have entered the sewer.
Up 6 Down 16
Klondiker on Feb 6, 2014 at 9:45 am
Ha ha...Regulation. Glad to see you're observing all of this. Why don't you start calling in all these offences then if they're actually happening as much as they are? It can't be enforced if someone's not alerted to it. This is where people need put their money where their mouth is.
Up 42 Down 1
melba on Feb 6, 2014 at 6:40 am
We needed a cab back on Dec 17, when it hit -39C. I called a number of different cab companies and got the same dispatcher. It seems to be an illusion that these are different companies, which might explain why all their numbers went down at the same time.
Up 46 Down 3
yukoner on Feb 6, 2014 at 6:03 am
U said it. not to mention they don't screen their drivers to see if they are criminals, who knows what kinda ppl they hire. They should all have a criminal record check before being hired!!!
Up 61 Down 2
Regulation? on Feb 5, 2014 at 7:58 am
No loss to the community if they are...The City regulates them? Really? They can text/talk & drive, drink/be high & drive, speed & drive, ...THAT is being regulated? It would be a BLESSING to see some of the cab companies in town close their doors and true regulation be implemented.