New mandatory Indigenous-led safety training for taxi drivers in the works

New mandatory Indigenous-led safety training for taxi drivers is in the works in Winnipeg.

It's been in development for more than a year, and now this new training program is a step closer to becoming a reality in the city.

"It's very exciting," said Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of Winnipeg's public works committee. "I'm told that it's basically one of the first in Canada."

The project started back in the spring and summer of 2022, when the city along with the MMIWG2S+ Advisory Committee started consulting with Indigenous communities and the taxi industry.

Based on the results of the engagement, the city began developing a mandatory training program for all taxi and vehicle-for-hire drivers to take.

"One of the consistent themes of the engagement sessions was the need for enhanced cultural training in order to begin to build a better understanding amongst service providers of the history of Indigenous peoples," a report to the city reads.

"It was felt that beginning to build this knowledge would improve understanding between drivers and passengers, increasing safety for both."

The main topics in the training include a history of colonization and its impacts of sexual violence on Indigenous women, the current realities of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and other resources such as what to do when someone is in distress.

The report specifies it will be the Indigenous community delivering the training, which will be paid for by the city. It will consist of eight-hour sessions a few times a month, with up to 30 people in a class.

Lukes said it won't just be taxi drivers taking this training, but rather all vehicle-for-hire drivers which includes Uber drivers and limo drivers.

"It's going to take a period of time to get through training everyone," she said. "But it's a tremendous step forward."

While the report estimates it will take several years to have all drivers fully trained, it estimates the initial intake of about 2,000 drivers will cost $150,000.

The report suggests this would be covered through a vehicle-for-hire safety and security fund, which would allow all drivers to attend the training at no cost.

A request for the full funding is going before the city's public works committee early next week and will then require council's approval. If approved by city council, the report says the mandatory training will be implemented by the end of 2023.

You can read the full report here:
 

-with files from CTV's Jeff Keele