Taxi trouble: Peak party season leads to frustrations for St. John's revellers

A perfect storm of factors created a night of frustration for hundreds of partygoers in St. John's this weekend, leading to a blow to the reputation of the downtown, and exposing more troubles in the taxi industry.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's peak party season on the weekends as companies hold year-end socials and the bar scenecashes in on the extra business.

But all that activity meant the partying ended on a sour note for the many who had to wait a long time for a taxi.

It also created tense scenes on Water Street and elsewhere as dozens of people huddled in doorways, or hung on as long as they could inside bars while waiting for transportation.

'No cabs to be seen'

Shamrock City Pub manager Stephanie Clarke said frustration levels were high.

"There were no cabs to be seen," she said. "We want people to be able to enjoy themselves. And we want them to be able to get a taxi home. Not encourage drinking and driving, of course. It is upsetting for the business."

It's not uncommon for the city's taxi service to be overwhelmed following a night when thousands of people go out for a concert,sporting event or when there's a sharp spike in company social events.

But the messy weatherintensified the situation this past weekend, with snow changing to rain and creating slushy, slipperysidewalks and roads. That meant cabs could only tiptoe around the streets, leaving revellers shivering and soaking in doorways as theydesperately punched the numbers of various taxi companies into their phones.

'I'm not going downtown again'

It's not the kind of image bar employees like Clarkewant for the downtown.

She said one woman, drenched to the skin, came into the bar and said,"I'm not going downtown again."

And when Clarke and her colleagues finally locked the doors at Shamrock City on Sunday morning, she said there was a sense of desperation among people in the pub's entranceway.

When we were leaving here at 4 o'clock in the morning, [the entranceway] was packed with people waiting for a taxi.- Stephanie Clarke

"When we were leaving here at 4 o'clock in the morning, it was packed with people waiting for a taxi," she said.

And when she boarded her car, there were people grabbing at her door handles, and standing in the street, asking for a ride.

"It's just sad to see. Four o'clock in the morning, people can't get home safe and they're obviously cold and they're miserable," she said.

Insurance rates a factor

The taxi industry sayssoaring insurance rates have driven many people from the business, resulting in a significant drop in the number of cabs on the street.

A taxi driver who used to budget $4,000 for insurance, for example, is now paying three times that amount, said Newfound Cabs managerDerek Hayter.

"Some of the owner operators and little guys can't afford to stay in the business," said Hayter.

"They simply can't afford to,the costs are so high."

Many taxi drivers alsosteer clear of the late-night downtown scene to avoid people who have had too much to drink.

There are 374 taxi licences in the City of St. John's, but a city official said 53 of those are not in operation.

Newfound owner Albert (Mooney)Newell said some of those inactive licences are on a shelf at his business.

"Nobody wants to come and drive on your taxi stand because of the insurance. But it's really not much you can do about it," said Newell.

So when thousands of people head downtown on a weekend, they should expect delays when trying to hail a taxi.

"If taxi insurance was where it should be, you'd have a lot more brokers. You'd have a lot more people working," said Newell.

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