It will cost you more to use a taxi in North Bay in 2018.
The North Bay Police Services Board approved a 1.9% drop rate increase and a 20% rolling rate increase at the February Police Board meeting Tuesday morning at police headquarters.
The decision came after the police held a consultation with taxi owners and stakeholders at a town hall meeting back in late January.
See related: Taxi companies struggling to keep up
See related: Taxi rates on the rise?
Deputy Chief Scott Tod says it was tough to come up with a fair number because the three companies in town were not collectively in agreement with what the increases should be.
“There was a lot of deliberation put into it, a lot of discussion around it,” noted Tod.
“It will not be a decision that makes everyone in the community happy or satisfied but as a result of a number of things that have been raised and brought to our attention, including wages, wage increases and other increases within the taxi industry also, that there was a need for an increase.”
Tod says deliberation was key before making this decision.
"We put that out there from the very start, from the board to the police service to the cab operators to the cab owners, and the small business owners in the community," said Tod.
"There was always a concern about how much increase can the community withstand."
Dollar wise, Tod says that will mean the drop rate, which is currently $4.60 when you step into the cab, will increase to $4.70, while the rolling rate could work out roughly to an additional 40 cents per kilometre.
The Police Service has yet to release the rolling rate numbers.
The local cab companies will be given notice of the change today and will be expected to have all their taxi’s re-calibrated by the end of February when the increase is expected to take effect.
