Protective shields installed in some Saskatoon cabs during pandemic

The city's largest cab company is set to take extra steps to protect its drivers as they continue to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RIIDEtransportation, which has about 50 of its more than 200-car fleet on the road, saidnew protective shields, which will separate the driver from their passengers, are already being installed.

"Because we're transporting the general public, we want to make sure they're as safe as can be," said president of RIIDEtransportation, Scott Suppes. "We still pick up at the airport for example and some of the folks could be coming from out of country and should be going into quarantine, so it was a way to make sure they're safe."

He said the shield is just an extra layer of protection for RIIDE drivers, as the company has also started to disinfect its cars after every client. He said the arrival of the pandemic hasmade things even harder for the industry, as they were already dealing with new competition from ride-hailing services.

Suppes said while there is a cost associated with the installation of the shield roughly $100 for materials and installation drivers won't have to pay the fee until things have stabilized.

He also noted that the company has reduced thefees drivers have to pay by about half to ensure they can still make money, as business has dropped off about 80 per cent across the board.

"Everybody still has bills to pay and families to feed, so we're trying to make sure that there's enough income in the cars, so wherever we can, we're suspending payments," he said. "We're also trying to keep our doors open, so we do need some income coming into the office."

He asked that members of the public take care when using cabs in the city and inform drivers if they're using a cab to go to a COVID-19 testing site, notingthey should wear a mask or scarf to prevent the spread of germs.

Wayne Sorowka, who has been working in Saskatoon as a cab driver for 35 years, installed one of the shields himself. He said the reaction from customers, many of whomhe drives daily, was immediate.

"When I went to work it was unbelievable," he said. "They appreciated it. It wasn't a bad thing, it was a good thing."

Sorowka says his family was worried about him every time he went to work prior to the installation, but said since, the shield has created a perception of safety.

"Now, when I go to work, when I've got that, I feel invincible. I feel safe," he said.

Sorowka said he's already spoken to numerous cab drivers who plan to have the shield installed.

"It's a no-brainer," he said.

Malik Draz, president of the United Steel Workers 2014, which represents cab drivers in the city, said the shields will offer more protection to the driver and the passenger.

"I will welcome those sort of safety measures," he said. "If they installed that shield, that will be great and that might encourage more drivers to come back on the road."

Murray Hume, who has been driving cab in Saskatoon for almost four decades, recently installed one of the shields himself. While he's been off the road for about a week, he was still driving at the start of the pandemic and said customers' feelings ranged widely.

"Some people are paranoid. Some people seem pretty normal. Some people joke about it. Some people think it's all a bunch of B.S. and made up," he said. "It's right across the board. It depends how much of a germaphobe you are."

Hume said for the cab industry, like many other industries across the globe dealing with the pandemic, it's an unprecedented time.

"I've never seen anything like this before," he said. "I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. Period."

Suppes said the taxi industry has been in Saskatoon for more than 50 years and has always done its best to supportthe city'sresidents. He hopes when this is over, the company will continue to be able to serve the city and that residents will return to supporting the industry.

"I'm hoping that we're still here after all this," he said. "I don't know how long all of this is going to last."

As of Sunday afternoon, there were 156 cases of COVID-19 in the province.