CBC News
A dispute between Edmonton taxi drivers and those with an out-of-town company that works out of the airport has lead to "vigilante style actions" on the streets, according to a city hall report.
City drivers are claiming cabbies with Airport Taxi Service, which has picked up fares at the international airport south of the city since November, are breaking the rules and also picking up passengers inside Edmonton city limits.
According to the report, licensed Edmonton cab drivers and airport taxi drivers are having disputes on the streets.
"In most cases the incident was some form of verbal abuse, shaking or spitting on the vehicle, sometimes while a passenger was inside. These aggressive acts, all initiated by the licensed Edmonton taxi drivers, have escalated since March 15, 2007," the report says.
Cab driver Hamid Habibzai said he doesn't think airport taxi drivers are acting fairly since he has paid thousands of dollars for an Edmonton taxi licence.
"They take at least 50 per cent of our trips from the city to the airport. They are not allowed because they are out of town," he said.
Carrying passengers from the airport is worth about $8.5 million a year, according to the report.
Habibzai and other taxi drivers plan to go to city hall on Monday when a committee is to consider the situation. One recommendation in the report is to increase the number of licensed Edmonton cabbies.
A dispute between Edmonton taxi drivers and those with an out-of-town company that works out of the airport has lead to "vigilante style actions" on the streets, according to a city hall report.
City drivers are claiming cabbies with Airport Taxi Service, which has picked up fares at the international airport south of the city since November, are breaking the rules and also picking up passengers inside Edmonton city limits.
According to the report, licensed Edmonton cab drivers and airport taxi drivers are having disputes on the streets.
"In most cases the incident was some form of verbal abuse, shaking or spitting on the vehicle, sometimes while a passenger was inside. These aggressive acts, all initiated by the licensed Edmonton taxi drivers, have escalated since March 15, 2007," the report says.
Cab driver Hamid Habibzai said he doesn't think airport taxi drivers are acting fairly since he has paid thousands of dollars for an Edmonton taxi licence.
"They take at least 50 per cent of our trips from the city to the airport. They are not allowed because they are out of town," he said.
Carrying passengers from the airport is worth about $8.5 million a year, according to the report.
Habibzai and other taxi drivers plan to go to city hall on Monday when a committee is to consider the situation. One recommendation in the report is to increase the number of licensed Edmonton cabbies.