It’s going to cost Lloydminsterites just a little bit more to get around the city by taxi.
This after Council at Monday’s meeting approved an increase that had been requested by the local cab companies.
The new fees raise the fare to $3.75 for the first 117 metres, and 25 cents for each 117 metres going forward. Wait time goes up an extra $20 per hour.
“One of the major costs of operating a taxi cab is fuel. And the operators are finding that they are basically at a point of breakeven or losing money. So without this raise we would have potentially less cabs on the road.”
Aalbers sees the difficulty of the situation as the price of fuel is outside of everyone’s control.
“It’s a hand in hand. I can’t make any apologies because that’s a control we do not have other than the bylaw. But if I had the choice, certainly I would like to see gasoline a lot cheaper. I pay for it just like everybody else.”
He added that as costs continue to go up there can only be so much that businesses absorb.
Aalbers says the city will continue to subsidise taxi fares for seniors and they estimate that cost to be an extra $35,000 to be paid by the city this year.
Council documents show that the Bylaw was developed in 2016 when fuel was about $0.90 per litre. Bylaw 10-2022 was amended and passed after final reading.