Taxi drivers

A valid taxi driver's licence must be prominently displayed and clearly visible to passengers within the taxi at all times while providing transportation services.

Only an individual who holds a valid taxi driver’s licence issued by the City of Winnipeg is allowed to drive a taxi.

Taxi driver's licence eligibility

To apply for a taxi driver’s licence, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be legally eligible to work in Canada
• Maintain a valid Class 5 Manitoba driver’s licence
• Have not been convicted within the previous 10 years of a major driving offence
• Have not been convicted within the previous 10 years of a relevant criminal offence unless a record suspension (pardon) has been issued in respect of that offence
• Not be registered on the child abuse registry
• Complete taxi driver training (including accessibility transportation training)
• Provide all required documentation to determine eligibility
• Pay the applicable licence and application fee(s)
• Completed Consent and Privacy Form:
  • Online submissions: complete the Online Application Consent and Privacy Form
  • Email or in-person submissions: to be completed on the Taxi Driver's Licence Application Form

Apply online

Online Application Consent and Privacy Form

Criminal Record Checks – New and Renewing Drivers

Print form

Accessible taxi driver eligibility

In order to be issued an accessible taxi driver’s licence, you must meet the requirements for a taxi driver’s license and must, in addition, as determined by the City either:

• Complete within a period of time prior to the application, as determined by the City, any training required by the City with respect to transportation service for individuals who use a wheelchair, or similar device which can accommodate a seated individual, and who cannot self-transfer, or
• Demonstrate to a level required by the City the skills and knowledge reasonably considered by the City to be necessary in order to provide transportation services to individuals who use a wheelchair, or similar device which can accommodate a seated individual, and who cannot self-transfer.

Training

Taxi driver training

St. James-Assiniboia Continuing Education provides taxi driver training and language assessments.

• Taxicab Driver Training Program
• Taxicab Driver Training Course Dates

St. James-Assiniboia Continuing Education

2nd Floor - East side entrance
470 Hamilton Ave.
Winnipeg, Mb R2Y 0H4

• Phone: 204-832-9637

Accessibility transportation training

The Independent Living Resource Centre (ILRC) provides accessibility transportation training. Applicants can contact ILRC at 204‐947‐0194 or apply online.

Independent Living Resource Centre

167 Lombard Ave. #100
Winnipeg, Mb R3B 0V3

• Phone: 204‐947‐0194

Renewing a licence

In order to be eligible to have your licence renewed, you must:

• Meet the requirements for an applicant for a taxi driver’s licence
• Provide information to the City concerning any factual changes to information provided at the time of application or most recent renewal
• Provide to the City a criminal record check and a child abuse registry check issued no more than 90 days before the application for registration was made
• Provide to the City a Manitoba driver’s abstract supplied by MPI issued no more than 90 days before the application for registration was made.
• Not owe any outstanding fines or fees with respect to this By-law or any City parking bylaw

Reporting changes

Drivers must immediately report to the City and their dispatcher any changes to the information provided at the time of application or most recent renewal. This includes:

• Conviction for any relevant criminal offence or a major driving offence
• Charges laid against you for any relevant criminal offence or for a major driving offence
• Your registration on the child abuse registry
• The suspension of your Provincial driver’s licence

You must also immediately report to the City any change in your medical condition that could affect your ability to drive and to maintain a Provincial driver’s licence

Relevant criminal offences include offences under an enactment of the Parliament of Canada involving:

• actual or threatened violence;
• weapons, including the illegal possession of weapons;
• sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, procuring, or invitation to sexual touching;
• trafficking of controlled drugs or substances;
• fraud, false pretences, bribery, extortion or theft over $5000; or
• an offence related to the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle;

Providing service

As a taxi driver, you must take the most economical route to the passenger’s destination unless otherwise directed by the passenger. You must provide reasonable assistance to any passenger as requested or required in the circumstances.

Fare and payment

A taxi driver may accept compensation for providing a transportation service in any form, including through non-electronic payment.

As a taxi driver, you must not charge fares other than in accordance with the fare schedule. You may, before the transportation service is initiated, agree with a passenger on a fare for the transportation service. However, an agreed fare must not be higher than the final fare shown on the meter.

You must ensure that the taxi meter is operating while the transportation service is being provided. If the agreed fare is higher than the fare shown on the meter at the termination of the trip, the driver must charge the fare shown on the meter.

Pre-payments and deposits

In accordance with the Vehicle for Hire By-law s.59(1) a taxi driver may refuse to provide a transportation service unless a passenger pre-pays the fare if

1. the transportation service is being provided during hours of the day and days of the week designated by the designated employee as being those during which pre-payment may be required by taxi drivers; or
2. the driver believes on reasonable grounds on the basis of past behavior that the passenger is unable or unwilling to pay the fare and the pre-payment required by the driver is no more than that authorized in a zone structure established by the designated employee.

Additionally, as per s.59(2) If the fare as determined in accordance with the taxi meter is less than the amount of the pre-payment, the taxi driver must refund the difference to the passenger. If the fare as determined in accordance with the taxi meter is more than the amount of the pre-payment, the passenger must pay the difference

If the passenger refuses to pay a deposit, the driver may refuse service. Any time a driver refuses service to a passenger, the driver must immediately report the circumstances to the dispatcher. The dispatcher must then report to the City within 24 hours.

Street hails

A taxi driver may accept a request for service by any means, including a street hail, or through a non-digital platform.  If you accept a street hail, you must immediately record the transportation service. Within 24 hours, you must also inform the licenced dispatcher with whom you are registered of the street hail and the times and location of the pick-up and drop off.

Only an individual who is a licenced taxi driver, registered with a licenced taxi dispatcher, and is driving a licenced taxi registered with that dispatcher can provide transportation services:

• through a street hail
• through a dispatch by a non-digital platform
• in exchange for payment by any method other than digital payment

Refusing service

As a taxi driver, you have an obligation to accept passengers and drop them off at their preferred destination.  You cannot refuse a request for service or refuse to drop a passenger at the passenger’s preferred destination unless, based on the circumstances, the taxi driver reasonably believes that there is a danger to his or her personal safety or of serious damage to property in accepting the request for service or dropping off the passenger at the passenger’s preferred destination.

If a taxi driver refuses a request for service or refuses to drop off a passenger at the passenger’s preferred destination, he or she must immediately provide verbal notice of the refusal or failure to the dispatcher with whom the driver is registered.

Accessible taxi service

Service animals

The fact that a prospective passenger is accompanied by a service animal is not sufficient to support a reasonable belief that there is a danger to the driver’s personal safety or of serious damage to property. A service animal means an animal that has been trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability that relates to that person's disability.

Mobility aid priority

Accessible taxi drivers cannot refuse service to individuals who use a wheelchair, or similar device which can accommodate a seated individual, and who cannot self-transfer.  Unless actively engaged in providing a transportation service to another passenger, you must respond to a request for service from a passenger who use a wheelchair, or similar device which can accommodate a seated individual, and who cannot self-transfer.

Lost property

A taxi driver must comply with the approved passenger property retrieval policy for the dispatcher with whom he or she is registered and which has dispatched the passenger whose property has been left behind.

Fact sheet

Taxi Driver Fact Sheet

This Fact Sheet is provided for information only. Should there be any possible conflict between the information in this Fact Sheet and the approved By Law, the By Law shall prevail. Should there be any possible conflict between the information in this Fact Sheet and a Regulation approved by the Designated Employee, the Regulation shall prevail.