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Robert Gaister

News Reporter robertOnsnews.com

GREATER Vancot:ver taxi companies, including
the two local outfits, were recently granted per-
mission to hike thei: fares.

Although the rate inet ases are cegligible in terms of p
centages — less than 3% in most cases — they are bei
tacked on to amounts th2t already leave many usces gniping.

“The average cab ride is oo much compared to what peo-
ple are earning,” said Sam Monfared, general manager of
Sunshine Cabs. “Even though it’s too much for people, it’s
not cnough jor the owners.”

The increase is the first granted in eight years by the Motor
Carrier Comission (MCC:, a provincial body chat regulates
the taxi industry.

Sunshine Cabs is the smaller of the two North Shore taxi
companies. It has 36 cabs and employs 80 drivers, most of
whom work part-time. North Shore Taxi boasts 82 cabs and
approximately 300 full- and part-time employ

The rate hike, which came into effect on Sept. 1, is the

- result of a joint application made by 25 of 26 cab companies
operating in Greater Vancouver. [lowever, the amount grant-
ed by the MCC is considerably smaller than what the compa-
nies were sccking.

As of Sept. | taxi flag (starting) rates increased from $2.10
to $2.30; distance rates have climbed from $).21 per kilome-
tre to $1.23 per kilometre. The companies were seeking a flag
rate of $2.50 and a distance rate of $1.35 per kilometre.

“In rejecting the current request, the commission stated
thar the finanaal data provided by the industry was inade-

uate to support the proposed increases,” stated secretary to
the commission Colin Hanson. “Further the commission
noted that there has been significant population and tourism
growth ip the region which appears to provide a rising
demand for service, with relatively stable transportation costs
and no increase in the supply of raxis.”

But, according to local taxi industry representatives, that
hasn’r been the case on the North Shore.

As a result, North Shore Taxi assistant general manager
John Bains said he was hoping for a larger rate hike.

__ -He added that the cost of doing business has risen steadi-
ly from year to year. “You look at every angle. Insurance is
always kicking up a litle here and there, fuel costs and even
the price of the cars. So everything counts and adds up.”

North Shore Taxi and Sunshine Cabs agree that access to
the lucrative airport licences, which both hove been seeking
for several years, would make their fives casicr. The airport
currently allows nine cab companies to operate out of its
premises, but the number may soon rise to 17,

The airport authority's manager of landside operations
Raymond Segat said both North Shore companies are identi-
fied as possible future additions to the current list but there
are NO guarantees.

A memorandum of understanding between the airport and
the existing companies is scheduled to be ratifie! this fall. Its
terms spell out the granting of 30 additional a‘rport access
licences to companies representing regions currer tiv under or
not represented.

According to Monfared, the complexity of switching or
recalibrating taxi meters means that local cab user, won't be
paying, the new rates insmediately.

“Unfortunately there’s only three people in the Lower
Mainland who change these things (meters),” ssid Monaared.
“We couldn't do it before the first and now we're in a bie up
like everybody else.”

Minibus shuit

- Robert Galster

News Reporter
robert@nsnews.com

_AS cab companies across the
Lower Mainland breathe a

: small-sigh of relief in the
wake of their recently
approved fare hike, a small
North Shore outfit is threat-
ening their franchises.

Gunter Schlicper, who boasts
some 15 years in the taxi business, is
the general manager of Local Minibus
Lid. While the company claims to be
more of a shuttle service than a taxi
company, its clientele is likely co come
directly from the customer base of the
North Shore’s two cab franchises.

Local Minibus is regulated by
municipal guidelines and as such does
not come under the control of
provincial Motor Carrier Commission
(MCC). The downside of the strategy
is clear: operators must stay within the

GUNTER Schiieper,

unday, September 6, 1998 — North Shore News — 3

.

SUNSHINE Cabs general manager Sam Monfared hoped the Motor Carrier Commission would have granted the

taxi industry

more than the 2.5% fare increase that went into effect on Sept.

1. His com

ny's 36 cabs are cur- |

rently waiting to have their meters adjusted to reflect the new rates, though the work will take about two weeks. .

- TAX! RATES

IN-VARIOUS -

» ‘CANADIAN CENTRES: - |

Based on a March 1998 survey conducted for the MCC

Flag ($/cm)
2.10
1.98"
2.40

2.0

NEWS photo Mike Waketietd

neral manager of North Vancouver-based
Local Minibus Ltd., is offering passengers transportation for a
$3.50 flat fee which has cab companies crying foul.

boundary of the municipality licens-
ing them.

On the flip side, because the com-
pany is a shuetle service, Schlieper’s
drivers can pick up multiple fares —
something various cab companies
have already asked the MCC to allow
them to do. Local Minibus claims

another advantage. Its price blows a
cab out of the water: $3.50 per trip
regardless of distance.

“We're not happy,” said North
Shore Taxi assistane general manager
John Bains. “Anybody who operates
even if they take only five trips; it’s a
bitch.”

Bains wouldn’t speculate on the
company’s plans for battling the
intruder, but made it clear North
Shore Taxi isn't willing to simply
stand by and watch its business erode.

“We are trying to find a way of
what we can do,” said Bains. “We
have to defend ourselves.”

Distance ($/km)}

Schlicper said his service has been
received with open arms by customers
and is particularly well-suited to
seniors and others on a Syed inconie
who simply can’t afford a taxi and
find transit too difficult to acc

“We're getting a fot of seniors
phoning us and the primary reason is

the reasons the taxi indus-
try in B.C. is as regulated as it is stems
from the government's desire to pro-
tect the public from both unsafe prac-
tices and price gouging.

Yet, Schlieper says his service,
although completely outside of the
MCC jurisdiction, beats existing cabs
on both fronts.

The flat rate has obvious appeal
and his fleet of seven new minivans
more than mects minimum safety
standards.

Although the inevitable conflict
between cabs and Schiieper has yet to
come to a head, there is little in exist-
ing regulations to offer cither munic-
ipal or provincial authorities to pre-
vent Schlieper-like enterprises from
cropping up all over the Lower
Mainland.

Cabbie

a _
history

, 4 a -
iractious
THERE was a time
when the North Shore’s
two cab companies —
Sunshine Cabs and
North Shore Taxi —
fought tooth and nail

for the area’s limited
business.

Both made repeated
attempts to secure regulatory
body assistance and in turn
public opinion in cfforts to
secure an advantage in a stiffly
regulated marketplace.

Sunshine Cabs launched a
fleet of 24 luxury cabs in
March 1982.

A condition of its licence
stipulated Sunshine charge 10%
more than other cab companies
justified by its luxury standing.

North Shore Taxi respond-
ed to the emergence of
Sunshine Cabs by introducing
Cadillac Cabs, its own luxury
division.

By 1986, to the chagrin of
its local competitor North
Shore Taxi, the Motor Carrier
Commission (MCC) allowed
Sunshine to charge the same
lower rate.

The official reason for their
application was to allow the
company to pick up fares at
Expo 86 where ali cabs were
required to charge the same
fares.

‘Later the same year,
Sunshine Cabs — launched
another assault, this time ques-
tioning the authority of the
MCC,

Sunshine drivers, along with
others from municipalities out-
side Vancouver, openly defied
regulations by picking up farcs
outside their home municipaii-
ties.

The action netted the rebel
companics hundreds of dollars
of fines but failed to convince
the MCC co alter the rules.

— Robert Galster