City in 'difficult spot' as airport taxi labour dispute continues

Heading into day 10 of an ongoing labour dispute involving Ottawa airport taxi drivers, which has seen drivers impeding traffic in the south end, the city says its hands are tied.

"When they're driving 20 km/h on the Airport Parkway, it is very frustrating for people who live in the south end, it's frustrating for people picking up loved ones at the airport or people, as tourists, going back home," said Mayor Jim Watson on Wednesday.

"I think they have to rethink their public relations strategy because, quite frankly, it's driving people to Uber, plain and simple, and they should understand that."

City Coun. Diane Deans, who heads the committee that regulates taxis, told Ottawa Morning host Giacomo Panico Wednesday that the ongoing job action has left the city in a "difficult spot."

While the city wants the dispatcher, Coventry Connections, and the taxi union to get back to the bargaining table, the city also wants to respect the drivers' rights to protest.

'Grey area'

"The city wants to ensure, at the minimum, that emergency vehicles are not impeded in performing their duties and that police are on site ... to make sure that things are orderly out there. So that's the grey area that the city finds itself in," Deans said.

As for police issuing traffic tickets to taxi drivers deliberately slowing down traffic, Deans said officers are in the same difficult position.

"The police response was, it's a bit of a grey area and they don't want to actively, aggressively enforce because of their charter right [to protest]," Deans said, adding that police are working closely with the protesting drivers to make the protests as smooth as possible.

Watson on Tuesday asked city staff to fast-track a review into the city's taxi industry and emerging ridesharing technologies such as Uber.

The study is now expected to be complete by the end of the year.