Winnipeg taxi forum focuses on safety of women, indigenous people

A number of local organizations teamed up today to host a forum on concerns surrounding taking cabs in Winnipeg.

The Southern Chiefs Organization, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and Ikwe Safe Ride held the meeting Monday to discuss taxicab safety, among other issues.

Chickadee Richard was at the forum. She said she no longer takes regular cabs and only uses Ikwe, a ride-share service for indigenous women.

"Sometimes they (cabs) detour and I think, 'Where are they taking me?' Sometimes I think it's for the money aspect adding extra dollars on to their fare. Sometimes I get scared wondering what if they are taking me somewhere I don't know where they are taking me," Richard said.

"It is pretty scary getting into a cab not knowing if I'm going to get to my destination."

The Taxicab Board said it hasn't received that many complaints because the process is intimidating, said board chair David Sanders.

He said the board will hold "a major public consultation program after the election blackout next month but for now the community is meeting and I want to assure them that we are listening."

"I think we all want to work together on  making sure that it's possible for people to tell their stories  and have them dealt with property," Sanders said. 

"If people are afraid. That's serious. If they are afraid to take a cab that is a fact it is not good enough. We need to fix it."

Shauna Fontaine, violence prevention and safety co-ordinator with the SCO, said she wanted the meeting to produce actionable solutions to the challenges women and indigenous people face using cabs in the city.

• Tensions rise between Winnipeg taxi drivers and indigenous community
• Women's safety in taxis focus of Winnipeg brainstorming meeting

"We don't have to wait for governments or the taxi cab board or other people to take initiative and to recognize that initiatives have already been taking place," she said.

"[It's] important to understand that this has been going on for a long time and before, people didn't really want to talk about it.… It just became normalized. And now people are being empowered to share their stories."

The forum ran from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre at 45 Robinson St. in the North End.