NS: Rogue taxis not playing fair, says cab company

[BARRINGTON, NS] — The owners of a taxi service in the Barrington area say because the municipality is not enforcing its taxi bylaw, illegal taxis are making their business hardly worth operating. Rogue operators are not licensed by the municipality and do not meet the requirements of the taxi by-law.

When Cape Island Taxi began operating in 2004, owners Willis and Leona Nickerson say there was only one other unauthorized taxi in the area. Now there are four competing for business.

The Nickerson’s explained that after they pay all their expenses (roof light, meter and installation, inspections, licenses, insurance, gas, maintenance, advertising), they estimate their daily wage at $12.56.

“How would you like to work for those wages?” they wrote to council. “If something can’t be done, I’m going to start doing it their way. I’ll leave the roof light on and the million-dollar insurance, and that’s what I’ll do. If they can get away with it, why can’t I?” asked Willis Nickerson.

Willis and Leona Nickerson, owners of Cape Island Taxi, say they are up against four other taxi operators that operate illegally, accepting “donations” for transportation. — Carla Allen photo

Leona Nickerson says she talked with her accountant about the issue, who told her they are not required to be registered with the municipality and that they can operate their business as a privately-owned taxi.

“They told me that we could report the income as ‘other income’ on our tax return,” she said. “We want to do this the legal way and not get in trouble with anyone.”

After their presentation, Warden Louise Halliday said she believed the municipality needed to contact the RCMP and tell them that they had a bylaw in place and that they needed their help to enforce that bylaw.

“We certainly can’t enforce the law, but we do have a bylaw,” she said.

At the conclusion of council’s discussion, a motion to review the taxi by-law and discuss the matter of illegal taxis with Sgt. Forbes of the Barrington RCMP detachment at the January 18 committee of the whole meeting was carried unanimously.

Sgt. Forbes, who was contacted the day after the meeting, says the situation is a bylaw issue.

“If the municipality has a bylaw governing taxi use, then that’s something the bylaw officer can deal with.”

“Essentially you’d have to have someone provide evidence that they (the illegal taxi) were paid money,” he said, adding that it is a Catch 22 situation. “Your neighbour could say, I’ll drive you to the airport, you just pay for the gas. So you pay the guy $25 to take you to the airport or the doctor’s office or wherever. Is he really operating an illegal taxi or is he doing an errand for a friend. That’s the issue. There are all kinds of things on the enforcement side of it. It’s difficult.”