Cab drivers blame Olympics for slowest business in 15 years
Posted February 8, 2010 3:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Despite the fact Vancouver is hosting the world just days from now, some local cab drivers say business has been the slowest they’ve seen in the last 15 years. One company says it’s going to be tough to get a cab in the downtown core during the Olympics.
Finding a taxi during the Olympics should be easy, but flagging one down is a whole different story. That’s what some local cab drivers are claiming. The city has already granted temporary licenses to out-of-town taxi companies, alongside the usual suspects like Blacktop and Checker.
Company president Amrik Mahil says his drivers will have a tough time picking up customers. “The biggest problem we have right now during the games is, that we won’t have places to stop and pick up a customer and drop them off. There’s no stopping anywhere in downtown with the road closures.”
Mahil says the city has tried to help by setting up dedicated taxi stands at Games-time venues, but he adds there aren’t enough taxi stands and they’re too far away from Olympic events. He suggests potential passengers are choosing to travel via transit instead.
