SURREY, B.C. — Mike Starchuk is pledging changes aimed at easing costs and regulatory pressures on Surrey’s taxi drivers, including allowing taxis to use bus lanes where appropriate, reducing municipal licensing costs and cutting paperwork.
Starchuk says taxis play an important role for seniors, shift workers, families with young children and people with accessibility needs, particularly when regular transit service is unavailable.
His proposal would allow taxis to use bus lanes where they can do so without slowing buses. Starchuk also says he would establish rules for taxi access to the King George Boulevard bus lanes before they are built.
The campaign notes that Surrey City Council asked staff in 2020 to examine taxi access to bus lanes, but says decisions continue to be made on a lane-by-lane basis.
Imagine Surrey council candidate Perminder Chohan also voiced support for the proposal.
“As a business owner, I understand how hard our taxi drivers work to make ends meet. It’s time to give them a break,” Chohan said.
Starchuk is also proposing to reduce City fees and paperwork required for taxi operators. He supports the Surrey Board of Trade’s call to remove municipal boundaries that prevent Surrey taxis from picking up passengers in Vancouver.
According to the campaign, Surrey taxi drivers face additional municipal requirements, including a chauffeur’s permit from both police and the City, on top of provincial regulations. The campaign contrasts this with ride-hailing services, which operate under a single licence covering the region.
Starchuk also pointed to his record during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he served as MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, saying he worked to secure relief grants for taxi drivers and companies affected by the sharp decline in passenger demand.
“I worked nights in this city for more than 30 years, and the people on the road with me were cab drivers,” Starchuk said. “When COVID emptied the streets, I helped them get the grants that got them through it. A cab is a small business with a car payment that doesn’t stop when the fares do.”
The proposals are focused on reducing operating costs, expanding where taxis can legally operate and making it easier for Surrey taxi drivers to remain competitive in the changing transportation market.
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