Competitive wages, accessibility, and companies like Uber are just some of the issues the municipality is grappling with as it tries to revamp its existing Taxi by law. 
Less than a dozen people turned out to a public meeting on the issue at the Civic Center last night.
Rick LaMarsh has been in a wheelchair on and off for over 30 years, and says changes definitely need to be made.
“Is there going to be a 24-hour available taxi or whatever for people that get stuck when they can’t get any type of transportation,” LaMarsh says. “There’s a young lady that I know, she lives in Wallaceburg and goes to school at St Clair College, she has no way of getting back and forth because there’s no accessible taxi in Wallaceburg anymore.”
Among the proposed changes would be the elimination of zones or plate limits, no regulation of fares, and no requirements around having a dispatch office.
A number of cab drivers were also in attendance, worried that removing limits on the number of licenses handed out would saturate the market and prevent drivers from making a living.
Stuart McFadden, the municipality’s acting director of Economic Development, says all of the input they’re receiving is vital to making a bylaw that works for everyone.
“Chatham-Kent is a very unique community, we have 2500 square kilometres, 23 communities, and we have to think of all of them.”
McFadden says expanded transportation options could help improve the job market in Chatham-Kent, allowing more residents from around the municipality to travel further for employment opportunities.
The public has until April 27th to submit comments on the proposed Vehicle for Hire bylaw before the final draft is presented to council in mid-May.
