Allowing taxis in diamond lanes will slow down buses, councillor says of ride-hailing changes

Winnipeg plans to allow taxis to drive in diamond lanes on a trial basis and it will charge vehicle-for-hire services such as Uber and Lyft a three-cent-a-ride surcharge in lieu of requiring drivers for these companies to install shields in their cars.

Mayor Brian Bowman announced the surcharge among other amendments to a package of vehicle-for-hire regulations that will come before city council on Wednesday and will take effect on March 1.

• Winnipeg reveals plan to allow Uber, Lyft to operate alongside taxis as early as March
• Mayor's inner circle approves new rules for Uber, Lyft, taxis in Winnipeg
• 'Horrible things happen': Taxi industry demands Uber, Lyft install shields to thwart 'beheading'

The surcharge, which Bowman said would raise about $45,000 a year, would fund safety-information education as well as a passenger rights and complaints program.

Bowman also proposed allowing taxis to drive in diamond lanes on a one-year trial basis, cancel plans to ban the transfer of existing taxi licences in 20 years and stagger the introduction of 120 new licences by introducing 60 in March and another 60 at the end of 2018.

The mayor said he proposed the changes to address concerns raised last week by the taxi industry.

"We've listened. I've had lots of discussion with my council colleagues. We're doing our best to address the concerns that were raised​," Bowman said.

The new taxi licences will be introduced via a lottery system.

The proposed bylaw already includes new criminal and driving record background checks for taxi drivers and ride-hailing drivers, as well as drivers needing to submit a clean vulnerable person and child abuse registry searches.

Coun. Janice Lukes said the public works department has recommended against using diamond lanes for taxis twice in the past three years.

"The engineers do not recommend this because it will slow down buses," Lukes said. "The transit users are going to be paying the price of Uber coming to Winnipeg and buses will be even more off their schedules."

'Womanizers and demons'

Taxi-industry representative Scott McFadyen left city hall without commenting on Bowman's amendments.

Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt said they do little to address taxi-industry concerns, while Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie said he's been getting messages from the public laden with unfair portrayals of taxi drivers, used to justify the introduction of competition. 

"The emails I've seen of why we need to bring Uber in, it's insinuating that everyone that works in the traditional industry right now are what? Womanizers and demons and ugly, scruffy, smelly people in shabby cars," he said.

Councillors will vote on the changes at Wednesday's council meeting.