London wants the power to seize “bandit” cabs to step up its crackdown on the illegal taxis.

Hasan Savehilaghi, founder of Yellow London Taxi, said limo drivers face much less regulation than cab drivers and are taking away business by offering equal or lower fares.“There is a double standard in the industry. Limo drivers can do anything they want.” The reforms proposed by city staff don’t address the problem, he said, and the number of limos operating in the city is steadily increasing.

“Anyone who wants to make a few bucks can turn the family sedan into a taxi,” city bylaw enforcement manager Orest Katolyk said.
The unlicensed private vehicles typically pick up passengers in the busy bar strip along Richmond Row, he said. Bandit cabs pose a threat to the safety of passengers and undercut legitimate cabbies, Katolyk said. Some are brazen enough to put magnetic signs on their vehicles and advertise on Internet sites. Bandit cabs became more common during last year’s transit strike, prompting city staff to launch an undercover crackdown by posing as passengers.
But Katolyk said the penalty is puny. “For now, all we can do is fine them $300. For some of them, that’s just a cost of doing business.” Katolyk is advising city council to join other municipalities in lobbying the provincial government. The lobbying effort is aimed at getting changes to the Highway Traffic Act that would allow police to seize illegal cabs.
Bandit cabs are common across North America, especially in tourist cities such as Ottawa and Niagara Falls, but the recession has made the problem worse, he said.
During the crackdown, city staff found one bandit cab driver just had his licence reinstated after an impaired driving conviction and another was using a 17-year-old car — 11 years older than the city allows for legal cabs, Katolyk said.
Some bandit cabs target seniors, offering them rides to shops or medical appointments, he said.
The crackdown on scofflaw cabs is part of a review of the taxi industry, the city’s first in six years, that was the focus of a public meeting Tuesday at city hall.
Cab companies and drivers support the crackdown on bandit taxis, but the city faces opposition on a proposal to improve the safety and quality of city cab fleets by requiring cabs added to the fleet be no more than two years old.
Geoff Parkins, president of U-Need-A Cab, said the rule would be a hardship for the industry.
“Many drivers cannot afford to buy a vehicle that’s almost brand new,” he said at the meeting.
London cabs are already subject to yearly mechanical inspections, Parkins said.
Jamie Donnelly, vice-president of Aboutown Taxi, said the two-year rule isn’t needed and was a major problem when Toronto put it in place.
He also supports stricter enforcement of existing safety standards as an alternative.
Another contentious issue is competition between taxi and limousine licence holders.
Hasan Savehilaghi, founder of Yellow London Taxi, said limo drivers face much less regulation than cab drivers and are taking away business by offering equal or lower fares.
“There is a double standard in the industry. Limo drivers can do anything they want.”
The reforms proposed by city staff don’t address the problem, he said, and the number of limos operating in the city is steadily increasing.
Donnelly, whose company operates both cabs and limos, agreed the line between the two types of services is blurred and there’s a need to clear up the “ambiguity.”
Tuesday’s meeting was the first of three that’ll be held by city staff to gather information for a report to city council.
The next meetings will be held Jan. 18 and Jan. 25.   

Bandit taxis targeted in undercover sting

CITY BYLAW ENFORCEMENT

By PATRICK MALONEY, The London Free Press

Last Updated: December 15, 2010 4:23pm

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