Dear Editor:
I watched the local news on New Year’s Day, in regards to those who went to downtown Vancouver to celebrate and how they where stranded for hours by not being able to get a taxi.
There seems to be something terribly wrong when you can’t get a taxi when needed. As someonewho has lived around the Metro Vancouver area for many years, I can say that 20 years ago there was no problem as there is now.
This situation is not acceptable. I don’t buy all the excuses the taxi companies give in regard to licensing. I think it is sheer greed.
Recently a company called Uber was going to provide some sort of transportation service, of course all the taxi companies where crying foul. To me, I feel they have some monopoly going on and of course they don’t want competition.
They claim that these taxi drivers have some kind of training. Well, I saw an example of that training the other day at a shopping mall where an elderly lady waited for her cab.
When it approached her, she was pushing a walker full of groceries and the driver just sat on his behind while she struggled to open her door. He finally got out and helped a bit.
We do not want to encourage drinking and driving, but we do nothing to discourage it either.
TransLink is hopeless also, as it does not run all night. It would pay to have more transportation on the roads all over Metro Vancouver as it would also benefit business, such as bars in restaurants.
So, if the taxi companies cannot supply reasonable transportation service, then I say bring on Uber.
Cody Tabois, Burnaby
