Winnipeg unveils Indigenous-led taxi safety initiative

An Indigenous-led group is partnering with local taxi companies and the City of Winnipeg to promote safer rides for Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people through a new series of short safety videos.

The initiative was developed by the Indigenous-led Taxi Safety Committee, which has been meeting for the past several years to address safety concerns in the taxi industry. The videos are designed to show what riders should expect when it comes to safety in a cab.

“We really wanted to make sure the public made sure that Duffy’s and Unicity is taking action on safety non only for Indigenous women and girls but for everybody,” said Coleen Rajotte, communications lead, Taxi Safety Committee.

Rajotte helped produce four short videos, each highlighting a different aspect of taxi safety, including in-cab cameras and audio recording, as well as how riders can report concerns if something does not feel right.

“There is automatic video and audio recording every time you get into the cab, the drivers don’t have access to it so if there is a complaint there is a investigation, and the audio and video is reviewed by the city of Winnipeg,” said Rajotte.

Unicity Taxi participated in the videos, showcasing how the taxi industry can work alongside the community to improve safety.

“These videos show that we listen, collaborate and we act, we can create safter transportation for everyone,” said Abhishek Tara, general manager at Unicity Taxi.

The remaining videos are expected to be shared on the Winnipeg Taxi Safety Facebook page in the coming weeks.