A large group of cab drivers from Duffy’s Taxi and Unicity Taxi in Winnipeg say they won’t be on the road this weekend after they say they were suspended.
The group gathered near city hall Friday to protest what they call mistreatment by cab owners and management.
The drivers also expressed concern over being charged more by cab owners.
“With ride sharing companies in this city, the business is going down, but they’re demanding more rent,” said Parminder Tiwana, who has a driven with Unicity Taxi for four years.
Tiwana said that drivers from both companies came together in hopes of demanding change and more consistency across the industry from payment to treatment.
“The exploitation has crossed the limits,” he said.
On Wednesday, drivers gathered at Assiniboine Park to discuss issues they face in the industry.
Bhupender Singh has driven with Duffy’s Taxi for eight years, and told CTV News the group was upset after a driver was suspended due to a disagreement with his cab owner during which they say he faced verbal abuse.
The situation was further aggravated when the drivers gathered for a protest Thursday night in a St. James parking lot.
The group estimated about 70 drivers were suspended as of Friday, and said it meant they would not only be off the road but without income.
“You can’t log into the computer, you can’t get any calls, that’s it,” said Tiwana.
When Unicity Taxi Board President Gurmail Gill was asked about the drivers’ employment status Friday morning after a meeting with representatives from Duffy’s and Unicity he insisted no one had been suspended.
“No suspensions. I don’t know where they got that information,” said Gill.
Scott McFadyen with the Winnipeg Taxi Coalition was also at the meeting, and attributed it to a breakdown in communication.
McFadyen also said cab owners were dealing with higher fees with the city taking on responsibility for the taxi industry.
“We know the drivers have livelihoods: they’ve got families to take care of. The owners have families to take care of,” said McFadyen.
“We just ask everyone to talk. These things sometimes happen.”
Representatives from Duffy’s and Unicity said they had invited cab drivers to a meeting Sunday in hopes of clearing up miscommunication.
Friday afternoon, drivers told CTV News they were recently informed the meeting was cancelled.
The Winnipeg Airports Authority reported longer waits for cabs Thursday night when the protest in St. James was happening, but as of Friday afternoon said there wasn’t an any evident disruption for travelers wanting a taxi.
