Taxi companies in Port Hawkesbury want town council to raise their rates.
After new Deputy Mayor Jason Aucoin declared a conflict and left last night’s regular monthly meeting, CAO Terry Doyle said the town was also contacted by Harper’s Taxi and Dave’s Taxi, about a formal request to consider increasing the in-town flat taxi rate from $6.50 to $7 per trip. He said the request was the result of the “record high” price of gas, and other cost increases.
To formally change the rate, Doyle said the town would have to amend the taxi bylaw, which was last updated in 1991, and staff would have to bring a draft policy to the town’s upcoming committee of the whole session.
In response to a question from Town Councillor Blaine MacQuarrie, the CAO said the rate in the bylaw is $5, and said he’s unsure how it was increased over the years, since there’s no record of an amendment to the bylaw in more than 25 years.
In surrounding municipalities, Doyle said taxi rates are in the $7 range and MacQuarrie moved that town council start the process of increasing the rate, which was approved unanimously by council.