Whitehorse taxi drivers may be disabling mandatory cameras, official says

Whitehorse bylaw officers saytaxi operators in the city may be disabling the security cameras they've been required to install in their cabs.

Bylaw officers took rides in four taxis earlier this monthas part of enforcement activities, bylaw managerDave Pruden told city council onMonday night.Security cameras became mandatory in Whitehorse taxis last May.

"We went out January 12, did four rides.All four of those drivers knew who we were, even though we were in plainclothes and three of those vehicles were in non-compliance of the camera," Pruden told councillors.

He said he could not provide any more details because one charge has been laid and two more are pending.

He said drivers can disable the cameras by unplugging them.

Pruden was at the council meeting asking for permission to begin a round of consultations with the public, taxi operators and other levels of government.

Although the city just re-wrote the taxi bylaw in 2015, Pruden said a "preliminary assessment ... suggests further enhancements in all areas of safety."

Those could include a requirement for tamper-proof cameras, mandatory GPS data on the cameras, better training for the drivers on passenger safety, and other changes.

Pruden said tamper-proof cameras wouldbe expensive.The cameras in use now cost in the $500 to $700 range, he said. Tamper-proof cameras, said Pruden, can be significantly more than $2,000.

'A dreadful hardship' on drivers

Councillor Betty Irwin was skeptical.

"I think that that would be a dreadful hardship on, certainly, the driverswho would have to pay that, or the companies who would have to pay that kind of money," said Irwin.

Councillor Rob Fendrick wondered if the city has any other option.

"It seems to me if they're not tamper-proof and they're checked, or showing that they're unplugged I don't even know what the point is, having the cameras," said Fendrick.

"But I don't want to prejudice the study. We'll study that and see what happens."

Pruden's request to look into taxi regulation was spurred, at least in part, by a delegation from the Yukon Women's Coalition, Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre and Les EssentiElles that spoke to councillors in December.

• Women's groups say Whitehorse taxis unsafe, need tougher rules

The representatives pointed to a number of assaults on women by cab drivers over the years. A driver was charged with sexually assaulting two women in 2017.

The women's groups'recommendations to council are similar to the proposals suggested by Pruden, including tamper-proof cameras.

Yonis Melewalso spoke to council Monday night about the review of the taxi bylaw.

He said he's the owner-operator of a taxi and has already installed a tamper-proof camera.Melew said his camera cost only around $700 nowhere near the $2,000-plus suggested by Pruden.

He also disputed the need for GPSdata,since Whitehorse is a small city and the camera will show where the cab has been.

"You don't need GPS here, you know, this is not cost effective.It's not feasible, nobody's going to afford that," said Melew.

• Yellowknife security cameras go offline following reports city staff abused their use
• Man accused of hiding camera in Ekati washroom charged with voyeurism