Winnipeg food truck owners say they’re getting grilled by the city.
Following a 2014 foot truck explosion in Philadelphia, the city is passing a bylaw to do mandatory fire inspections.
Food truck owners have to pay for the inspections, which is $150 for a truck or trailer and $50 dollars for a hot dog cart.
"We want to make sure the public is safe, we want to make sure the food truck operators are safe. Like I say this is cost recovery for that service,” said Coun. Mike Pagtakhan, city protection committee chair.
Some truck owners aren't convinced the fee is justified.
Mark Langtry owns Habanero Sombrero on Broadway. He's in favour of making sure operators are in compliance. However, he questions the fee because he says he'll have to take his truck in for the inspection at a fire hall.
"They're already being paid to do their jobs there, I can see us having to bring it there, which is fine, we're doing that on our own time, we're not getting paid to do that,” Langtry added.
This on top of a 2015 change to parking rules on downtown streets, where instead of plugging the meter, truck owners pay a flat fee they say costs them more.
For a season Habanero Sombrero pays $3,500 for parking. Langtry says more costs for him, could mean more for his customers.
The inspection fee is part of a new fire prevention bylaw that still requires final approval from city council next week.
