Taxi pre-payment pilot beginning at the end of the month
Posted September 16, 2019 4:33 pm.
WINNIPEG – The City of Winnipeg is starting up a new nine-month pilot program aimed at reducing the number of fare disputes in taxis.
People taking a cab between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. each day will be required to pay a $10 deposit on the ride at the beginning of their trip. At the end of the trip, the City of Winnipeg says passengers will either pay the difference in fare or will be refunded the difference if the ride was less than $10.
“We’ve consistently heard that fare disputes have been identified as one of the main sources of conflict in taxis,” said Councillor Matt Allard in a release.
“Through this pilot, we hope to find out if mandatory pre-payment will help make taxi rides a safer and more equitable experience for both drivers and passengers.”
The city says all payment methods will be accepted for the deposit and any refunds can be issued as cash regardless of the initial payment method for the deposit.
There are also a few exclusions from the pilot:
- Taxi passengers beginning their trip at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport
- Taxi passengers who present a valid taxi voucher
- Taxi passengers who maintain an account with the taxi dispatcher
- Personal transportation providers (rideshare) or limousines
Over the course of the program, the city says it will monitor the number of fare disputes to see if the pilot curbs the number of complaints. The city will also be looking for customer feedback.
The pilot is slated to being Sept. 30.
