Winnipeg cab drivers are calling for compensation, and a level playing field, if and when services like Uber and Lyft are allowed to operate in Manitoba.

Bill 30, introduced by the Conservative government in the spring and still before the Legislature, would allow vehicle-for-hire services to operate here, and it would dissolve the Manitoba Taxicab Board, giving regulatory authority to municipalities.

Winnipeg cab owners rallied outside the Legislature yesterday. Wab Kinew, the leader of the NDP, spoke, voicing his support for some form of compensation, though he didn't say how much or who would pay for it.

Cab owner and operator Jaspal Bedi says they pay high prices to get into the business.

 

 

Bedi says vehicle-for-hire services are just like taxis, and the rules should be the same for everybody.

 

 

Kinew similarly says he wants the bill changed to ensure vehicle-for-hire services and taxis follow the same rules and regulations.

The bill was supposed to receive its second reading yesterday but it was delayed because the Legislature was evacuated for what turned out to be a false alarm.

The legislation is supposed to come into force on February 28, 2018, or on a day to be fixed by proclamation, whichever comes first.