Fredericton taxi fares could rise if meters become law, says cab owner

Cab prices in Fredericton could increase if the city requires meters rather than zones to determine fares, says the co-owner of Checker Cab, George Youssef.

Youssef is afraid the city will opt for a fare system, which he said will raise the cost of cab ride at least 25 per cent from the fares under the current zone system.

"We feel this is an attack on free enterprise from city hall," Youssef said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.

Fares will vary

Youssef said Fredericton is too small for meters. There's no guarantee roads won't be clogged with traffic or backed up because of weather or construction, which will add to fares, he said.

It now costs about $9 to take a cab from downtown Fredericton to the uptown.

The city hasn't even said it wants to switch to meters, but spokesperson Wayne Knorr said it has "begun a dialogue" with taxi owners about service in Fredericton and eventually will seek opinions from the public.

"This is the beginning of a process and no decisions have been made".

But Youssef said his dealings with city hall suggest it is leaning toward meters. He said the city offered cab companies the option of installing meters a few months ago and they said no.

He also complained that the city may be moving to a system that will be unfair to passengers when "we haven't really studied it to find out how this system is going to work."

When Saint John tried meters, some cab companies went from having 200 cars on the road to only 100, Youssef said. Saint John now has both a zoned and metered system. They charge the cheaper of the two fares.

"I think in the end it's taking away drivers and cars," Youssef said. "If the prices are too high, people are going to go to the buses."