CITY COUNCIL UPDATE: NUMBER OF SEASONAL AND TEMPORARY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI LICENCES TO INCREASE

At its meeting on Monday, June 22, 2015, City Council passed recommendations of the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation regarding an increase to the number of seasonal taxi licences, and also approved the recommendation to amend Bylaw No. 9070, The Taxi Bylaw, 2014. A report on the changes to temporary wheelchair accessible licences will be submitted to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation in the near future with the recommended changes to Bylaw No. 9070, The Taxi Bylaw, 2014.

City Council approved an increase of 6 temporary seasonal licences to make a total of 24, to be allocated to taxicab drivers only - through the process of an open lottery. Drivers must fill out an application form, and pay the non-refundable $50 fee charge to enter the draw. Application forms for the taxicab licence lottery, general rules for the draw and information on the lottery process can be found on the homepage of saskatoon.ca  under Services for Business or Announcements. Lottery Applications are also available at Corporate Revenue, main floor City Hall and the 2 Saskatoon taxi companies. 

The terms of the temporary licence season will be: September 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016, September 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017, and September 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. The annual seasonal licence fee will be $375. A licensed seasonal taxicab driver will be required to notify City Administration if they move from one company to another, and payment of a $25 transfer fee will be required.    

City Council also approved an increase to the cap on the number of temporary wheelchair accessible taxi licences. Five additional licences were added to make a total of 21 licences. These licences will be in effect for 5 years, and will revert back to the City of Saskatoon at the end of the 5 year term. The allocation of the temporary wheelchair accessible licences was based on fleet size; 3 licences to Comfort Cab, and 2 licences to United Cabs. 

Taxi regulation supports the City of Saskatoon’s long-term plan for optimizing the flow of people and goods in and around the city, under the corporate Strategic Goal of Moving Around. One of the stated purposes of Bylaw No. 9070, The Taxi Bylaw, 2014 is to ensure that taxi service in Saskatoon will be available, safe, and economical to use for both citizens and visitors to our city.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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