Taxi bylaw takes shape; Closed-door meeting with stakeholders set for today

ChronicleJournal.com
Sept. 14, 2016
By Jeff Labine

Thunder Bay’s response on how to deal with ride-sharing businesses like Uber could be heading to city council as soon as next month.

Red River Coun. Brian McKinnon on Tuesday provided an update on the bylaw and said the committee and stakeholders will be meeting today to hammer out some more details. The stakeholders have already received a copy of the first draft and are expected to provide feedback during the closed-session meeting.

McKinnon, who has been working on the file for more than two years, called the draft a very “substantial” bylaw and added they are open to suggestions and to changes.

Once any changes are made, the final draft will be written and then brought before council.

He expected that he will be dealing with “pointed questions” at the meeting.

“We have made some pretty significant changes on how taxis operate in the city,” he said. “I’m seriously hoping the re-draft can be done fairly quickly. We have two of our legal people on it. I’m going to try and get it into council by October or early November. That’s my objective. I’m hoping it will have some positive impacts on the taxi services.”

The city has been working on the updated bylaw in response to the growing popularity of ride-sharing businesses like Uber. Although Uber isn’t in Thunder Bay, the bylaw is intended to address the issue before it becomes one.

“It has been a very convoluted process,” McKinnon said. “I hope that it (answers) all of the questions that people have; everything with what’s going to happen with Uber because that seems to be the No. 1 top of mind question. I think, generally, we will have those answers in the document.”

The Thunder Bay Police Services Board oversees taxis in the city but the updated bylaw would change that and make it the municipality’s responsibility again. McKinnon added the decision has already been approved by council.