Lethbridge is moving forward with deregulating the taxi industry. City council votedĀ 7-1 to have administration prepare bylaw amendments and bring them back by the third quarter of this year.
The proposed amendment would remove the need for a regulated taxi metre inside vehicles, as well as taking off the maximum allowable fares. It would also get rid of the requirement to have a top light on all taxis in the city.Ā
READ MORE: Deregulation not what cab companies envisioned when asking for maximum fare increase, says owner
The conversation began at committee level last month when representatives from the taxi industry requested council approve an increase to the maximum allowable fares.Ā
Councillor Ryan Parker compares regulating taxi rates to trying to regulate rates at other businesses, such as grocery stores.
āThe SPC (standing policy committee) gave us an opportunity to speak to industry, speak to administration and ask the questions and I believe that there was a time and place for cities and municipalities to be in the business of helping regulate the industry and all that but I always felt over time that as industries change, with Uber and different business models that itās kind of archaic in the way we were doing things,ā he said.
Councillor Belinda Crowson was the only to vote against, saying lack of regulation contributes to high prices at places like grocery stores.
The bylaw will come back to council and have to go through three readings before it is finalized.