They believe that Bowen Island needs a service that combines a taxi with a community shuttle. They've also found that expanding the operation of a regular taxi service to encompass various other needs only works if the municipality is involved. At the April 8 council meeting, George Zawadzki, Alan Mills and Glenn Cormier represented the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce Taxi Initiative and laid out what they see as a need as well as an opportunity.
"I would ask [council] to put this into process and see if we can come up with a solution that addresses the transportation needs on Bowen Island," Zawadzki said. He explained that the taxi initiative is consistent with various objectives and policies of Bowen's Official Community Plan (OCP). He also drew attention to an age-friendly community report from 2009, where transportation was identified as a barrier to participation.
"Transportation is important for inclusion and challenges have been identified, especially by Bowen seniors. We need a service that is far-reaching," Zawadzki said, adding that he sees social, economical and environmental benefits from such a service.
Cormier said that council does not need to dwell on the need. "We've received many letters from the community supporting this," he said. "What we should be discussing is how to make it happen." Cormier explained that the taxi initiative approached the municipality after realizing that there are considerable hurdles for running that service by the private sector. "For a private operator, you could have a taxi or a shuttle. There is no option of intermixing the two because the provincial licensing structure does not allow for that. We have to open up the revenue sources from variety of things [to make the business viable]. The only way to do that is define and legislate the service [through the municipality]," he said.
Cormier added that it would be a service to the community but that doesn't mean it has to be a drain on municipal coffers.
Mills drew attention to the economic benefits of the service and envisions it being used by the people who arrive on the evening ferries and the late night water taxi, by youth frequenting the teen centre, baby sitters, seniors and others. "Everybody here has gone through this embarrassing moment when we had to explain to someone that we don't have a taxi on the island," he added.
Councillor Tim Rhodes said that he sees the value of a taxi/shuttle service but would like to "see a business plan in more detail" that would be passed on to the Finance Advisory Committee as well as the Transportation Committee.
Councillor Alison Morse drew attention to an initiative that came out of the age-friendly communities report that was embedded in the OCP. "We got a grant of $35,000 in 2010 and we provided a service for seniors," she said. "It was a pilot project so we could show the demand for this kind of service." Morse explained that the Abbeyfield bus was a van with a lift that provided on-demand, door-to-door rides. "The monthly maximum of riders was 24. And then we ran out of money," she said. "I would be interested to find out if there are any other municipalities that offer taxi services."
Councillor Wolfgang Duntz said that he believes in free enterprise and would be hesitant to get government involved without a "solid business case."
Cormier replied that he also believes in free enterprise but he is convinced that a solid business model can only be achieved by "opening up revenue streams."
"The only way for this to be successful is to run it by the municipality," he said, adding that he would be happy to refine the business plan, even if it wouldn't be his business. Mills added that the ridership number is the "big if."
Duntz said he would be interested to see if a taxi could be a test case for a private/ public partnership involving the municipality and the Bowen Chamber of Commerce. The municipality's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kathy Lalonde said she has already checked that option but explained that an exemption to the Passenger Transportation Act that normally regulates taxi services can only be granted if it is solely operated by a municipality.
In Lalonde's report to council, she states that there would be significant costs, such as vehicle, insurance and staffing, involved and that funding sources need to be identified. "If council decided to pursue a municipally-run community transportation service, it is difficult to see how this service would be achievable without either an increase to taxes or service adjustments elsewhere," the report says. "Although many letters of support have been received from the public, staff cannot gauge if the municipality could recoup the initial costs and if the service would be viably self-sustaining in the future."
Lalonde also suggests that "consultation should be undertaken with residents, taxpayers and other stakeholders such as TransLink." Council determined that a draft business plan and business case should be reviewed by the Financial Advisory Committee that would report back to council.
Zawadzki cautioned not to judge the initiative by the numbers only. "I would ask that you not only think about costs and risks but also by the value [the service] would add," he said. "We spend a lot of money in the community where the municipality sees little return. I'm making a plea: Please don't kill this."
