If you are feeling awfully tipsy in the cab after that Friday night party, remind yourself a $75 vomit fee could come into play this time.
The Passenger Transportation Board updated their standard taxicab rules with the addition of the new clean-up fee. Now cab drivers demand a cleaning fee on top of the regular fare for those who spoil the inside of the car. In the past, drivers were allowed to charge for a clean-up fee, but a set amount had yet to be established.
Cab companies in the downtown jurisdiction are the most affected by this rule. A driving shift on a Friday or Saturday night leaves the car most vulnerable to partygoers who have had a little too much. A driver with a spoiled car must stop to clean up before picking up his next customer—often losing a great portion of his potential earnings of the night.
Some say the rule will be hard to enforce. In Toronto, however, taxicabs are allowed to charge their $25 spoiling fee before the passenger gets in, “when they deem necessary,” based on the driver’s judgement of the customers intoxication. The $25 is returned at the end of the service, if the customer has not spoiled the car.
Taxi drivers in downtown Vancouver have also been reported to be refusing rides to partygoers returning to the suburbs, but this issue has more to do with the boundary rules that are enforced on taxis in Metro Vancouver.
The new regulation, that has been in effect since July 16 states that:
“Passengers who soil or damage the interior of a vehicle with bodily fluids or solids may be required by driver or taxi company to pay a clean-up fee of $75 in addition to the meter rate or any other rate.”
Some other Canadian cities have already approved of this motion. Calgary imposed a $100 fee earlier this week and Toronto began enforcing a $25 fee in February.
Featured Image: Vancouver taxi via Shutterstock
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