Residents Protest Speeding Taxis

By Sarah Pugh
West James Bay residents assembled at Niagara and Montreal on the evening of Friday, August 12 to protest against the taxis that regularly speed up and down Montreal St. as they take passengers to and from the cruise ship terminal.

Organizers Deanne Loubardas and Cole Little explained that they felt the need to do something positive and proactive. Loubardas, who has found herself in shouting matches with taxi drivers, wanted to do something more peaceful. The signs out on Friday night simply reminded taxis that the speed limit in the area is 30 km/h and that it's a neighbourhood full of children and pets.

"Everyone has a story," says Loubardas. She and Little went on to explain that while the neighbourhood is very diverse, almost everyone has a tale of a close call or even an accident involving speeding taxis in the area. One person mentioned a young child being hit a few years ago, while several have lost cats. A taxi was recently seen driving on the grass path beside the 100 block of Niagara to get around a horse carriage as fast as possible, with people jumping out of the way as it came.

On the night of the protest, however, few taxis were spotted as most used the Oswego route to the cruise ship terminal to avoid the protest. A passing motorcycle-riding police officer explained that the inter-taxi communication is fast and effective, allowing taxis to avoid areas of potential conflict or, as he had seen, a speed trap. He explained that while he does patrol the area regularly, when he sets up a speed trap, he may be out for hours and yet write only 2 or 3 tickets - not enough to be a deterrent.

Another resident reported that data presented to the JBNA indicated that during the period a speed indicator sign was up on Montreal St. the average speed recorded was 46 km/h.

Residents want speed bumps and a 4-way stop at Montreal and Niagara, but they say repeated calls and letters to City Hall haven't resulted in any action.