Winnipeg cabs parked by midnight

A dispute between Manitoba's taxicab board, Winnipeg cab companies and the maker of safety shields will cause as many as 400 taxis to be pulled from the road as early asmidnight Monday.

The general manager of Unicity Taxi, Krystal Maslow, said the dispute centres around the payment for the installation of mandatory shields in cabs ordered by the cab board late last year. The dispute also affects cabs operated by Duffy's Taxi, Maslow said.

Dispatchers for the two companies are expected to stop taking calls for serviceat 11 p.m. CT.

"They're pulling us off the road for being unable to get the new shield in time for the deadline," Maslow said.

A spokesperson for Spring Taxi said their shields are in place and their cabs will continue running.

Maslow said the cab companies planned to pay 20 per cent up front for the shields, but now the Winnipeg company who supplies them wants full payment up front.

A letter from Unicityto Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger obtained by CBC News asks him to get involved and find a solution to the dispute.

The provincial body that oversees Manitoba's taxi industry had mandated that all cabs install protective shields for drivers by the end of November a deadline that had already been pushed back at least once over disputes about the design.

In mid-December, a government spokesperson told CBC News cab companies would be mandated to install a full shield separating the passengers in the rear of the cab from the driver in all of their cars.