Since March 1, taxi drivers have been allowed to drive on the Winnipeg roadways allocated for buses and bicycles. This is a pilot project, designed for one year.
Over the past six months, bus drivers have filed 51 complaints against taxi drivers who stop on the roadway allocated for public transport to land passengers, thereby obstructing traffic for the rest of the vehicles.
Similar claims were made by Mark Cohoe from Bike Winnipeg, adding that taxi driver maneuvers pose a threat to bicycle drivers.
One of the taxi drivers told CTV News that the passengers are very happy that the taxi had an opportunity to drive using such roadways, whether they go to work or to the airport. He also added that neither he nor the other taxi drivers he knows never stop on these roadways, even if the passenger demands it. However, he does not rule out that other taxi drivers can be more accommodating.
After six months, the city authorities are going to sum up the results of the experiment and to decide whether it is worth continuing this practice.
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