Wes Skakun, business license inspector for the City of Medicine Hat. (CHAT News Photo)

By Chris Brown

Vehicle for Hire bylaw

Update to taxi bylaw opens road for ride-sharing companies

Jun 8, 2020 | 4:37 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat is on the road to updating its taxi bylaw this summer.

The outline of a proposed Vehicle for Hire bylaw was presented at the development and infrastructure committee meeting last week.

Wes Skakun, business license inspector for the City of Medicine Hat, said ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, long-established in major cities, are beginning to show an interest in moving into smaller communities.

“We’ve had some interest from the likes of some of the transportation network companies that would like to come to Medicine Hat and start their business here,” he said.

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Skakun says the bylaw also gives greater flexibility to already established cab companies.

“We’ve put some legislation in place that the taxis can have temporary taxi licenses when there’s bigger functions going on with in the city, as well as they’ll be able to use a soft meter,” he said. “They can use an app, they’ll be able to book through an app which they don’t currently do right now they use the old meters. So it shouldn’t be a hindrance on them at all.”

The city’s bylaw, intended to replace the years-old taxi bylaw, is based off of provincial legislation that came into effect in 2016, said Skakun.

“It’s mirrored off of the provincial legislation with respect to the drivers and their police information checks and their vehicles and stuff like that.”

Skakun said a license will cost a little more than $2,000 for new companies and the matter is expected to be before city council this summer.