Ridesharing not coming to Yellowknife any time soon, as city looks to overhaul taxi bylaw

The City of Yellowknife is looking to overhaul its taxi bylaw, allowing higher meter rates and requiring companies to have wheelchair-accessible taxis, andsecurity cameras in all vehicles.

However, the introduction ofrideshare services like Uber and Lyftto the city still seema long way off, even with the proposed changes to thebylaw.

Uber has not announced any immediate plans to begin operations in Yellowknife. Rylund Johnson,municipallaw and policy manager for the City of Yellowknife, says Uberhas indicated that itscorporate position is that it should be regulated at the provincial or territorial level, rather than at the city level.

Johnson said he discussed this with Laura Miller, Uber'shead of communications policy, following the last meeting of the city's government and priorities committee.

"Most recently Newfoundland agreed to it. Her logic was that she is getting calls across fivemunicipalities in Ontario, and it requires changes to the software the minute you drive across the city border. And that's just not feasible for them," Johnson said at Monday's city council meeting.

Johnson says if Uber were to come to the Northwest Territories, the minister of Infrastructure would have to set up the legislative framework. Currently, rideshare services like Uber or Lyft are defined as taxis bythe city's bylaw.

Johnson also addedthat he has not received any meaningful responses from Lyft or other rideshare companies regarding their plans for Yellowknife.

The city is also proposing safety changes to its taxi bylaw, including requiring security cameras in all taxis and allowing drivers to request a maximum $30 deposit before the trip.

In 2021, theStatus of Women Council of the N.W.T. conducted an anonymous online survey that collectedover 500 reports of women feeling unsafe in Yellowknife taxis.

Other proposed changes to the bylaw include arequirement forall taxi companies to have at least one wheelchair-accessible vehicle available for hire at all times, and a 25-per-centincrease to the meter rate.

The higher meter rates would help cover the costs associated with newaccessible vehicles and security camerasas well as inflation, according to city staff. The last time taxi meter rates increased in Yellowknife was in 2019.

The city will now hire a consultant to engage taxi companies, drivers, passengers, and the public on proposed changes to the Livery Licence Bylaw,which governs taxi operations in the city. That engagement is expected to be done this year.