Taxi laws archaic says Sunshine boss SUBURBAN TAXIS DEFY REGULATIONS NORTH VANCOUVER’S Sunshine Cabs Ltd. has told the Motor Carrier Commission (MCC) its drivers will openly defy taxi regulations in order to provide better service to the public. Along with the other 1] subur-’ ban taxi companies that make up the Taxi Owners Association of B.C. (TOABC), Sunshine will now pick up fares in municipalities out- side its licensed North Shore home base. The MCC branded Thursday’s announced defiance of the law as “an abhorent act” and vowed to enforce the regulations as they stand. Current regulations state that Lower Mainland taxi companies are permitted to transport fares from their home base to any point in B.C, Fares can be picked up | DOUG FRASER of Chain Saw Sales wasn’? very happy when he came to '_ work Jast- week and found this huge pile of branches dumped in front of his store. Fraser believes a garden contractor dumped the branches il- legally, instead of paying for their disposal at the new Waste Transfer - Station. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter outside a company’s base only if firn: prior arrangements have been made. Taxi drivers face fines of be- tween $50 and $100 if they pick up random fares in cther zones. Sunshine president Richard Hughes, who is also vice-president of the TOABC, said Friday the current regulations are 1940 vin- tage and serve only to inconve- nience the public and force drivers to return to their home bases with empty cabs. Violation of the regulations by suburban taxi companies, he said, has occurred regularly for some ‘time and with the full knowledge of the taxi industry. “It’s being carried on in 2 nod- nod wink-wink fashion up to now. But the position of our association is that we are being irresponsible if we otey the current regulations.” He added: that suburban drivers had been threatened, had their cab doors kicked, and had been in- volved in fights after picking up fares downtown. Hughes said suburban cub com- panies now provide SO per cent of the_taxi service in downtown Van- couver, 60 per cent of the taxi ser- vice to Expo, and 90 per cent of service at the Vancouver airport. 3 - Sunday, June 29, 1986 - North Shore News If current regulations were to be strictly enforced, Hughes said, taxi service in downtown Vancouver would be in chaos, especially with the expected summer influx of Ex- po visitors. He said business for Sunshine’s 30-car fleet was up 35 per cent. But Black Top Cabs genera! Manager Vince Chessa disputed Hughes’ figures: ‘‘If those cabs are providing 50 per cent of the service downtown then who is servicing their communities?”’ Chessa said he. took a tour around Vancouver Friday and found four or five cabs at each Expo gate, and every hotel covered. ‘‘So where is the short- age? Mr. Hughes is not in the taxi business, he’s in the business to sell franchises.’’ REFUSE UNLOADED ILLEGALLY NV man has reason WHEN Doug Fraser came to work last wee! he had reason to feel dumped on. The North Vancouver businessman was greeted with a large pile of branches. dumped il- legally in front of his store the night before. ‘ “It was a.mess,’’ said Fraser, owner of Chain Saw Sales ai !72 Pemberton Avenue. ‘‘People have -a lot of nerve. “_: S-suspect it was.one of these fly by night (garden maintenance) ° contractors who didn’t want to” spend money to dump it proper- ; ly.” He said he has heard of other incidents cz illegal dumpings since the landfill on the North Shore was closed to the public June 9. RCMP bylaw enforcement of- ficer Sandy Powell said anyone’ with refuse to unload should be ' By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter going to the Waste Transfer Sta- tion at 30 Riverside Drive. He said there’s no cost involved for loads under SCO kilograms, and ~ above that the cost is $27.16 a metric tonne. “It’s peanuts actually,’’ Powell. He said people who dump waste illegally risk a fine if convicted, that -has recently been increased from a $500 maximum to a $2,000 maximum. “Where possible, once we trace said the offender we like:to give him 24 | hours to clean up the mess, before mo any charges are laid: . a _ “But even. if we suspect. people ’:.. have been dumping, it’s difficult-to get the evidence to charge them,’’ said Powell, who noted dumpings.. STAFF CHANGES AT LODGE DISRUPT PATIENTS ‘RESIDENTS AT North Vancouver’s Cedarview Lodge In- termediate Care Facility say wholesale changes in icdge staff have undermined their happiness and caused them incress- ing mental anxiety. President of the lodge’s resident council Anne MacGillivray said Friday: ‘‘We want our staff back. Disruption to our lives has been terrible.” ‘According to MacGillivray, all six people who once worked in Cedarview’s activity centre have left the lodge over the past seven months. One of those employees, who preferred not to be named, said in an interview Friday, recent changes in lodge management are at the root of the activity-room exodus. She said the employees were pressured into resigning or quitting in frustration. REASONS UNCLEAR MacGillivray said she was not sure why staff members had left By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter Cedarview, but said she felt they were ‘‘boosted out.”’ On May 2, the 96 health care workers at the 150-bed facility were certified as members of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU). Reasons for employees applying for that certification were directly related to new management and new management policies, the employee said. HEU spokesman Emil Shumey said at the time of the certification that Cedarview employees wanted better job security and better rep- resentation for.grievances. Employees, he said, also wanted wages comparable to those earned by unionized workers at similar in- termediate care facilities. The average hourly wage at Cedarview is currently $8.71. The comparable union rate is $10.50. EMPLOYEES FRIENDS According to MacGillivray, staff members are no longer permitted to take any Cedarview residents out, do occasional shopping for them, or have them over for Christmas dinner. The reason behind the new policy, she said, was to avoid staff showing favoritism to residents. MacGillivray said the residents’ council has approached Cedarview administration, but thus far no reason has. been given as to why the new policies have been in- stituted. “They don’t say anything. We are just supposed to accept the sit- uation. They think we are senile, but we are not, believe me.” Rod Vodden, spokesman for the Continuing Care Employee Rela- tions Association of B.C. which management, (CCERA), Cedarview’s “ represents VICE-PRESIDENT of the Taxi Owners Association of 8.C., Richard Hughes...“‘We are being irresponsible if we obey the current regulations.” The problem, Chessa said, was that areas such as the North Shore had been issued too many cab licences. He also disputed Hughes’ claims of violence toward subur- ban cab drivers. TOABC’s announcement was made, Hughes said, to bring the situation to the attention of the public and to force the provincial government to make a decision. “If they decide to enforce it, “The main thing is to provide service to the public,’’ Hughes said. to feel dumped on usually occur in isolated areas and in the evenings or weekends. MORE EXPECT ED He said last. year. two people were charged, the most recent. in- cident’ occurring three weeks. ago off Highway One. : ~“There’s been no increase. since, the landfill closed; but i'm’ expec- : ting it,’’ he said. Fraser said he’ concerned about the cost to. taxpapers, who end up. paying for the clean-up costs “when district: or city staff are called-in: :: - North Vancouver District deputy engineering director -Harry . McBride said it -took . about one hour. for: workers to pick” ‘up ‘the: branches. on’ ‘Fraser’s, propert: at: tan approximate. cost of $50. :*From our point of view ihe job | -was minimal, but-we do get dump- ings in inappropriate ‘places f m time to 0 time," he said. « . Friday he: was unaware -of any said problemsat the lodge. — . 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