It was reported that the President of one of the two Winnipeg Taxi companies planning to pull ALL THEIR CABS OFF THE ROAD because of a dispute with the Taxi Board really and truly felt "sorry about the plight of the people of Winnipeg". However, he still told his drivers to "go home and relax" because his company was "willing to wait" to get what it wants from a Taxicab Board that, he says, "chose not to (compromise)." Hmmm, I don't know about you, but that didn't really sound all that sorry to me(?)Can you imagine all the passengers arriving fatigued, cranky, and rushed at Winnipeg's Airport today hoping to hail cab only to be told ... sorry, you're shit out of luck. Fact is, 90% of all Winnipeg cabs were almost unavailable today. On the upside though, with our windchill right now only making it feel like -22 at least the 15 minute wait for the bus wouldn't have been life threatening when compared to last week's -40 windchill! Welcome to Winnipeg - an absurd wee corner of the world like no other!
A town almost without cabs, our new tourism slogan might have read: "Winnipeg - a visit you'll never forget, ... for all the wrong reasons!"
UPDATE: 8:00am - Just heard on CBC news that the Province has stepped in and done something (maybe blown somebody?) to get the Taxi companies to keep their cars on the road. That the situation should have deteriorated to the extent that the Province had to step in is ridiculous. The fact that our archaic Taxicab Board, and the equally archaic and usury Taxi oligopoly (i.e. Duffy's & Unicity) even still exist is a problem that should be dealt with - and dealt with soon. Neither the Board nor the cab companies deserve to continue on as they have. The Board should immediately flood the market with 200 more taxi licenses to break the oligopoly and then it should drop its heavy-handed stance on mandatory cab shields.
