Taxi driver without licence an isolated case, Ron Ellsworth says

St. John's Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworthis calling on taxi companies to make sure anyone they allow behind the wheel of a cab has a valid driver's licence.

Ron Ellsworth's remarks come days after police reported that a St. John'spedestrian was hit by a cab who had been driving with a suspended licence.

The personwalking onPennywell Road on Wednesday sustained injuries that are believed to have been minor.

A 50-year-old cab driver was charged with driving while suspended and his vehicle was impounded. Police saidfurther charges may be coming.

Ellsworth, who is also on the city's taxi committee, is calling on taxi companies and brokers to do more.

"Like any employer, you have a responsibility as an employer to make sure your employees have the proper documentation, and certainly the proper registration to carry out their duties," he said.

"We issue the license to the broker and they hire the drivers,"Ellsworthsaid.

City's role is clear

"We have jurisdiction to make sure the vehicle is licensed and to make sure it has been inspected and to make sure the metre is intact and has been calibrated recently," he added.

Like any employer, you have a responsibility as an employer to make sure your employees have the proper documentation- St. John's Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth

As for drivers who may lose their licence after proving they had it, Ellsworth said that could be hard to track.

"I don't know if there is something we can do provincially with registration so that once you've got it, if anything happens your employer is notified," he said.

"Other than that I don't know what can happen other than [police] doing greater enforcement on the streets."

One-off incident

Ellsworth doesn't believe the incident is indicative ofa widespread problem.

"This is a one-off incident," he said.

"If this became a systemic issue, we would certainly have to work with the province to see if we could do better enforcement."

Still, Ellsworth told CBC News that the issue needs to be monitored to ensure the safety of the travelling public.

"If it becomes a reoccurring issue, we need to get involved and make sure our citizens are protected."