Lloydminster city council is tightening the rules for taxis after growing complaints from riders and drivers about safety and reliability.
Staff at a local educational facility say they only send students with certain drivers because of concerns about behaviour and safety. Councillor Justin Vance confirmed the city has received numerous complaints about taxi service in Lloydminster over the past year.
“It’s definitely going to stiffen up the safety for not only the taxi riders but the drivers too,” said Vance after the Nov. 3 meeting. “We’ve had numerous complaints about how rides went, and we just felt like it was time to do something.”
What’s new under the bylaw
Andrew DeGruchy, the city’s director of public safety, said the updated bylaw brings clearer rules and higher standards for anyone operating a taxi or vehicle-for-hire in Lloydminster.
Vehicles will still require an annual permit and must pass safety inspections before being approved. Drivers will need background checks, valid insurance, and visible company identification. Every taxi will also have to include in-vehicle cameras to help protect both drivers and passengers.
“The bylaw creates a clear screening requirement for brokers, operators, and vehicles,” DeGruchy said. “It also aligns with provincial legislation by defining transportation network companies.”
Those companies, like Uber or Lyft, aren’t operating in Lloydminster yet, but the bylaw does allow them to apply and be regulated under the same standards as taxis.
Focus on accountability and trust
With the possibility of those companies coming, Councillor Michele Charles Gustafson questioned how surge pricing used by ride-share companies would be managed.
“The previous bylaw did have restrictions related to surge pricing, said DeGruncy. However, we’re aware that the business model for transportation network companies utilizes surge pricing around increasing prices related to the increased demand for ridership.”
Councillor Gustafson then asked for clarification.
“Our bylaw recognizes that ride on the app — that’s my two-party, that’s my two-way agreement that says I accept that fare, and therefore it complies with the bylaw.”
To which DeGrunchy confirmed.
“We would perform, if there were a business operating like that, kind of secret shopper campaigns of booking trips and verifying that the price isn’t changing at the end of the trip.”
Officials say the goal isn’t to restrict operators but to restore public confidence in local transportation. For riders who depend on taxis for work, school, or medical appointments, the hope is that stricter screening and accountability will mean safer rides.
The updated taxi bylaw passed first reading on Nov. 3. It replaces a version passed nearly a decade ago and aims to make the industry safer, more transparent, and better prepared for change.
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