Renewed calls for improved safety after two taxi drivers arrested in separate incidents
There are renewed calls to ensure the safety of Indigenous women taking taxis in Winnipeg.
Two drivers have been arrested this month and now face charges in two separate incidents with passengers.
There are measures in place but some wonder if it’s enough.
“It is now incumbent upon the government to enact and implement the Calls to Justice and I think if that is not done these incidents will continue,” said Grand Chief Garrison Settee of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.
Settee is talking about the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which calls on governments to ensure safe and affordable transit and transportation services for women, girls, two spirit and gender diverse people.
Just last week Winnipeg police arrested a 44-year-old Unicity Taxi driver who faces charges of assault and forcible confinement after a 19-year-old woman said she was assaulted during a cab ride.
On Wednesday, a 51-year-old Duffy’s Taxi driver was arrested after a woman trying to retrieve her phone from a cab was dragged by the vehicle as it sped off while she clung to the outside of the car from the passenger door. Duffy’s said the company suspended the driver after reviewing video of the incident.
“No Indigenous woman should be subject to such trauma and violence and we need to hold these taxi companies accountable and there have to be systems in place to ensure that they are safe,” Settee said.
Grant Heather, the City of Winnipeg’s manager for vehicles for hire, said when a driver is charged with a relevant criminal offence or a major driving offence a licensing review is held to determine next steps.
“There’s options available on what to do and so each case is really looked at individually, based upon what has occurred, what factors played into it,” Heather said. “It’s very much a due process type scenario.”
Heather said the city is always looking at ways to improve and ensure the safety of all users of the vehicle for hire system.
“We’re always in discussion,” Heather said. “We’re always looking for ideas – whether it’s training or additional education.”
He pointed to recent improvements, including mandatory audio recording to go with the cameras located in all taxis.
“Things like that really add to the safety of both drivers and passengers because it gives you a real sense of the things that occur,” Heather said.
Neither Duffy’s nor Unicity responded to requests for on camera interviews Friday on the calls for safety improvements within the industry.
None of the allegations against either of the drivers arrested this month have been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.