Changes to taxi cab rules approved
City council has passed third reading of amendments to the bylaw that governs taxis in the city.
City council has passed third reading of amendments to the bylaw that governs taxis in the city.
The changes set out the rules cab operators must follow, including the requirement to have a fully-functioning security camera on board capable of recording conservations. They were passed at council’s Feb. 13 meeting.
Images and audio captured by the camera can only be accessed by a designated officer for the purpose of law enforcement, says the bylaw.
It says any vehicles added to the fleet must be equipped with the recording equipment.
Recording equipment must be approved by a bylaw officer.
Cameras must not be capable of being obstructed by a sun visor or any other object.
The bylaw says taxis are not allowed to operate without a working camera system.
It shall be an offence for any person to provide images and audio captured by the security camera to any person other than a designated officer.
Any new vehicle that is added to the fleet must have a global positioning system installed.
Security systems must be hardwired to the vehicle.
The bylaw says it shall be an offence for any person to remove or shut off the image capturing and audio recording during a fare.
The bylaw sets out the penalties for not adhering to the regulations.
The penalties for various infractions are also set out in the bylaw.
The fine for not recording images and audio during a fare, for instance, will be $2,500 for the first offence and $5,000 for the second offence.
The penalty for failing to retain or produce security camera images or audio will carry a fine of $2,500 for the first offence and $5,000 for the second offence.
The company and its drivers must post a sign in the cab that is readable to all passengers indicating that a security camera is installed, and images and audio are being recorded.
Security cameras that are not properly mounted to the vehicle will also carry a fine of $2,500 for the first offence and $5,000 for the second offence.
Comments (5)
Up 9 Down 16
Max Mack on Feb 22, 2023 at 2:44 pm
@Welcome to 2009
Is your comment a deliberate attempt at misinformation?
Whitehorse Taxis have been required to have cameras for several years. This is not new.
What is new are the requirements for audio recording and gps, as well as a host of other amendments. (Only one other jurisdiction in Canada requires audio.) All so the RCMP can continue their warrantless spying program.
As for me, I will not be taking any more taxis.
Up 26 Down 9
iBrian on Feb 21, 2023 at 8:07 pm
You know, if we actually had laws that hurt and penalized sexual offenders…
Maybe, we wouldn’t need such Micro Managerial laws to one perticular industry.
But, a Limo, party bus or private coach doesn’t need these new devices.
Got it, one group at a time targeted.
Sorry my Lib-tarded overlords; I am slow in learning stupid.
Up 20 Down 1
Snowball on Feb 21, 2023 at 6:25 pm
Anybody remember the limos from back in the day for 10 dollars you can go from P.C. to Riverdale now days what would a taxi cost 50 dollars.
Up 51 Down 3
Welcome to 2009 on Feb 21, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Most Canadian jurisdictions passed bylaws requiring cameras in taxis (for both passenger and driver safety) back in the mid 2000's with most of them being the law in 2009. So yeah, welcome to 2009 Whitehorse taxi patrons. Hopefully this will reduce the horror stories of women being assaulted by cabbies.
Up 40 Down 7
Yukoner on Feb 21, 2023 at 1:46 pm
And how many times have these fines actually been charged? All well and good to raise them but if they are never used it's just a bunch of handwaving.