Revamped taxi bylaw on its way to Thunder Bay city council

After years of development, Thunder Bay city councillors should finally get a look at the city's newly-revamped taxi bylaw by the end of February.

"We've been working on it for a long time," said Brian McKinnon, city councillor and chair of the city's taxi committee. "But right now, it is with (the city's) legal department, and they are anticipating that it should come to council by the end of this February. I don't sense that they feel there's going to be any further delays."

A long process

The road to overhaul the city's taxi bylaw — which local taxi companies have called outdated and overly-complicated — stretches back about five years, when oversight of the city's taxi industry was a function of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board.

About three years ago, Thunder Bay City Council voted to take back taxi oversight, and it's now solely a city function.

That move, McKinnon said, required a complete rewrite of the existing taxi bylaw.

And further complicating things is a desire to ensure the new bylaw takes into consideration the growth of ride-hailing companies; they will be included in the bylaw, so there are rules in place should they decide to expand into Thunder Bay in the future, McKinnon said.

"They have every right to come in," McKinnon said. "They are in other jurisdictions and other municipalities."

"We're hoping that we can address those needs in the new bylaw."

One ride-hailing company, Ottawa's oRide, recently announced an interest in expanding into Thunder Bay, and hopes to be operating here by May.

McKinnon said Uber is also considering moving to Thunder Bay.

Specifics not yet available

McKinnon wouldn't offer any specifics as to the contents of the overhauled taxi bylaw. He said those will be made available when it's presented to city council.

After that, it will go through a consultation process, he said.

"(Council) will have a go at it, and I'm quite sure there will be deputations from the various partners, like the taxi companies," McKinnon said. "Council will hear what they have to say"

Then it will be up to council to decide whether to ask administration to further tweak the bylaw or to implement it.