Councillors say changes to airport taxi fee flew under radar

Taxis are on the minds of city councillors again, but this time it isn’t about ride-sharing.

Ward 1’s Darren Hill and Ward 4’s Troy Davies are expressing concern over a new flat rate taxi fare and an additional $2 fee charged on every trip to and from the John G. Diefenbaker International Airport in Saskatoon.

The new structure for rides to the airport went into effect on Jan. 17 without much fanfare, dividing the city into 25 zones with different charge rates, seemingly dependent on how far a neighbourhood is from the airport.

A trip from the airport’s business area costs $12, while travelling from southern and eastern neighbourhoods like Stonebridge, Lakeridge and Rosewood will cost customers $41.

What do you think of the new zone-based fees for taking a taxi to/from the airport? Residents in neighbourhoods like Stonebridge, Lakeview and Rosewood are now paying $41 per trip. #yxe pic.twitter.com/EGKH2qqgEg

— Chris Vandenbreekel (@Vandecision) February 13, 2019

An additional $2 is being charged for every ride to and from the airport, which the Airport Authority says is for reinvesting into road and curb infrastructure, curbside operations and training programs.

Davies, whose ward borders the airport, told 650 CKOM in an interview Wednesday morning he’s been hearing a lot of concern from his constituents.

“What some people have been paying for taxi rides is unacceptable,” he said.

“That’s something that doesn’t fly with me.”

He noted the airport is within its legal rights to change their fee structure partnership with transportation providers in the city, but said there should have been more communication about the new fees.

“It’s our job to make sure we’re responsible for the people we represent, and if there’s taxes being applied to residents and we don’t have a say in that — no-one’s really being held accountable to this,” Davies said.

Darren Hill said he wasn’t aware of the changes until he took a taxi from the airport to his Caswell Hill home last week, and the cab driver asked for more money than usual.

The trip usually cost the Ward 1 councillor $17, but it had gone up to $20.

“He handed me a zone map to show me, and I said, ‘what’s this?'” he told 650 CKOM, noting he doesn’t have an issue with zone pricing as a concept because it’s been implemented in other cities worldwide.

“The communication and preparation for the launch of this is one of my concerns.”

Hill said his main issue is with the new $2 infrastructure improvement fee.

“I think that’s unfair,” he said.

“Every passenger that heads out of Saskatoon airport is already paying an airport improvement fee. This is just another calculation, another revenue stream.”

Both Hill and Davies have asked city staff to research if there’s anything city council can do to curtail the airport’s unilateral ability to impose new taxi fees for customers.

The report is expected within the next month.