Calgary cab crunch could soon see some relief

A recommendation expectedfrom cityadministration could bring somerelief down the road for those who find it difficult to catch a cab in Calgary.

Thecityrefused to comment Tuesday onhow many moretaxi platesitwouldrecommend to the Taxi and Limousine Advisory Committee (TLAC), but there were reports itcouldbe around 100.

An official with thecity sent an email to CBC News Wednesdaysaying the recommended number will be based on a guideline population formula, which adds up toroughly 58 additional taxis.

City administration'srecommendationfollows years of complaints about long waits during peak hoursin the coldandat night.

The number of cabs in Calgary hasn't changed much over the decades. The city hit the brakes in 1986,capping the total at 1,311 taxi plates. Today there are 1,466 cabs,despite the population nearly doubling.

But city analyst Marcia Andreychuk says many cabs are "double-shifted,"meaning there is a driver during the day and another at night.

Rajiv Kapil, the head of the Calgary Cab Drivers Association, saysthe recommendationfor more taxi plates is a good start but may not be enough.

"It means the quality of service will improve, but to meet with the demand we need at least 300 more cabs," he said.

Alderman raises concerns

Ald. Ray Jones isn't convinced thatallowingmore cabs onto Calgary streetswould allow drivers to still earn a living.

"Not everybody's going to be happy," he said."There's those that want us to open up the system totally. I don't think that would solve the problems. I think that would create problems for people because no one would make any money at it."

The city's reportis expected tobemade publicearly next week, but itcould be weeksbefore it gets a vote from council. TLAC will review the recommendations at a meeting Aug. 19 before presenting a proposal to city council.

TLAC has also been tracking daily data on cab services in the city since April 1, which will also be included in its proposal.

Jonessays despite his concernshe will support the recommendation presented to council.

"It was done in conjunction with negotiating with the stakeholders, which is the industry," hesaid.

"I think they came to a good decision between them and I think that's exactly what council wanted was the industry and the stakeholders to get together and do what's best for the city."

Taxi pilot project

The city also started a pilot project Tuesday on Stephen Avenue to help better manage access for taxis and emergency response vehicles.

Public parking on the 200 and 300 blocks of the popular downtown street will be replaced with expandedtaxi and no-stopping zones from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week.

The pilot projectis toaddress concerns raised by Calgary police and firefighters that there is not enough emergency access on the street at night.

"This pilot project should allow the street to be cleared quickly when emergency vehicles require access," said project manager Graham Gerylo.

"Also, the expanded taxi zones should improve safety and access to taxis for Stephen Avenue patrons since taxis will now be able to load and unload passengers in the former parking space."

The Calgary Downtown Association has alsolaunched a newinteractive parking mapto help people findshort-term and on-street parking in downtown.