Confusion remains over taxi shields in Winnipeg

Over a year and a half after Winnipeg's taxis were required to install driver's-side safety shields, confusion remains over the shields that are currently in use.

The Manitoba Taxicab Board made it mandatory in January 2011 for protective shields to be installed in all cabs in Winnipeg, following a string of violent attacks on cab drivers.

The provincial government purchased 80 full-width shields from Custom Plastic Creations, a manufacturer of protective shields, at a cost of $48,000. Taxi fares were raised by 20 cents a fare to cover the costs.

But those shields have since been sitting in storage because the city's cab companies, and their drivers, complained that the full-width design does not allow heat and air conditioning to flow into the back seat of their vehicles.

Instead, a compromise was reached for a ¾-width shield design that is in place in many Winnipeg cabs today.

However, it's unclear if those shields have a design that meets the Taxicab Board's safety standards, say officials within the taxicab industry and others.

"There's been confusion from day one," said Steve Strong, president of Custom Plastic Creations. "It's never been worked out properly. Everybody seems to have different stories on this."

Officials with the Taxicab Board did not comment on Tuesday, but the board is expected to meet on Wednesday morning.