Zone fares not mandatory, says airport CEO

Passengers taking a taxi to and from the Saskatoon airport can opt out of a flat rate in favour of a metered fare.

That news was shared by Saskatoon airport CEO Stephen Maybury during the governance and priorities committee meeting on Monday.

The controversial zone fares were introduced by the airport authority in January. They set standard fares for each area of the city and charge an additional $2 for airport improvement.

Ward 4 councillor Troy Davies expressed concern at Monday’s meeting that the opt-out option hasn’t been communicated to passengers.

“Residents in my ward were being told, flat out, 100 per cent, that you had to pay this flat rate to the airport and you didn’t have a choice,” Davies said.

Davies said having the choice of choosing a metered fare is roughly a $9 savings for a round trip in his ward.

Maybury said the airport authority has made taxi companies aware of the concerns from the public, but he added communication with passengers lies with the companies.

Maybury also told the committee that planning is underway to allow ride-sharing service at the airport. He said he’s hopeful to have it in place within the next few months.

Currently, Uber is allowed to drop off passengers at the airport but can’t do pick-ups.