Iqaluit residents frustrated at communication of recent taxi fare hikes
On most days in the summer, Jayko Aipeelie takes a cab from his home in Iqaluit to get to his RV near the Causeway docks, where he likes to relax.
He had always been charged the city's general fare of $9 to get there from town, he said. He was shocked when, at the end of a trip last week, he found out the price had gone up to $15.
"That's when I kinda freaked out. I called their dispatch and said, 'You guys have to let people know ahead of time, not just at the last minute when you're riding a taxi,'" he said.
The price to get to either the Causeway or the Road to Nowhere is supposed to be different to other fares. As of April 2022, it was officially set at $10.75, even though Jayko had still been paying $9. The increase to $15, along with a few other rate changes, was passed by city council on June 25.
10 days after that decision, the city posted public service notices. Missing from that was the price change affecting the Causeway and Road to Nowhere.
"Everything changes, right? That's one thing you've got to accept in life. Fuel prices are going up, cost of living is going up," Aipeelie said.
"If they had announced it ahead of time, it wouldn't have bothered me so much."
The general flat fare for a taxi in Iqaluit is set to rise $0.25 per year until 2028. (Jordan Konek/CBC)
Changes affect elders
It's not the only thing that's changing. The age and cost for elders have also gone up.
People must now be 65 years old, not 60, to qualify. The elder fare now costs $7.50, after another price increase in February.
Some elders in Iqaluit aren't impressed.
"I didn't know that until last week, when a woman told me the elder's taxi price went up again. That's a little too much for me, but I guess that's the way it is now," Martha Qaurniq said.
Atiee Jope, 61, is frustrated that he no longer qualifies for the elder fare, and must instead pay the general fare.
"I'm retired now after 45 years of work. If I'm retired, how come I have to pay $9.25? That's too much for me."
More price increases ahead
Ronnie McGregor, business administrator for Caribou Cabs, a major taxi company in Iqaluit, said he does hear complaints about fare prices, but they're set by the city.
Nobody from the city was available for an interview, but a spokesperson said changes are communicated through their public service announcements, and residents are welcome to tune into council meetings and go through the related documents.
Yearly increases until 2028 to most fares was approved by council two years ago. According to that schedule, the general rate within the City of Iqaluit, which is $9.25 as of May 1, will go up by 25 cents per year until 2028.
Iqaluit resident Ryan Kawa said the flat rate charge for a ride of any length, in some instances, does seem costly compared to down south.
"When I first got here [in Iqaluit], it was $8. Then it got hiked to $9. And now I'm learning today that it's been hiked again. That's a tough break."
