A Whistler taxi company has reportedly been charging up to $200 for a one-way trip to Pemberton, despite not being approved to do so, and in one case, Pique has heard, a driver refused to turn on the meter at a passenger’s request.
On April 24, Pemberton resident Christopher Britt and several members of his hockey team hailed a Whistler Taxi Ltd. cab in the village after a tournament and were initially given a flat rate of $200 to Pemberton.
Depending on the exact location, traffic and timing, a metered rate from Whistler to Pemberton would typically be anywhere from $65 to $80 before tip, according to two other local cab companies Pique spoke with. Britt also said the driver refused to turn the meter on, even after he requested it, which goes against provincial regulations, according to a spokesperson with B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board (PTB).
Eventually, Britt said, the driver was talked down to $150, which the passengers agreed to—but not before the driver allegedly called his manager to have them explain the company was permitted to offer flat rates. Pique has reviewed banking info that showed Britt was charged $150 by Whistler Taxi on the night in question, as well as photos that appeared to show the car in motion, with the meter off.
“[W]hat ends up happening is we have more drunk drivers at the end of the night, we end up with people who live in town who don’t want to come into [the village] and spend money … or people who make bad decisions at the end of the night,” Britt said. “All you’re doing is hurting the local demographic and endangering people on a highway that’s already risky enough.”
Pique also heard from two other Pemberton residents who claimed they were recently charged a flat rate back to Pemberton. One passenger, who couldn’t recall the cab company, said it happened twice in the past two months. The first time, she said, the driver allegedly showed a text message he claimed was from his manager indicating the company was allowed to offer flat rates.
“I don’t know if I explicitly asked directly [to have the meter on] but it was definitely implied that they couldn’t turn the meter on when he showed us the text from his boss,” the passenger said.
The other passenger said a Whistler Taxi driver reportedly refused to take them back to Pemberton in the early hours of May 13 unless they paid a $200 flat rate.
“They seem to switch between the meter fare of $60 to $70 and $200 on a whim,” she said.
Pique also called Whistler Taxi on May 16 to ask how much it would cost from Whistler Village to Pemberton, and a dispatcher indicated it would be $150. A call the following day to Blackcomb Taxi, which is under the same ownership as Whistler Taxi, said the company did not offer flat rates. Whistler Resort Cabs said the same when called.
Whistler Taxi did not return numerous requests for comment for this story.
Taxi rates must be approved by the PTB, and only companies approved to offer non-metered rates are permitted to do so. Cab companies that have been approved for non-metered fares are also not permitted to fluctuate their rates.
“This is to avoid potentially contentious interactions around rates between the driver and the passenger and ensures pricing is transparent, as it is the responsibility of the Board to regulate the passenger transportation industry,” wrote a PTB spokesperson in an email.
Out of the dozens of taxi companies registered in B.C., only 13 have been approved for non-metered or contract rates—and none in the Sea to Sky.
While there is presumably incentive to hike prices amidst the corridor’s now-118-day-long transit strike, the issue has reportedly been going on even before the job action began in late January.
In a post to the Pemberton Community Forum Facebook group from December 2021, multiple commenters described being charged $200 or more from Whistler to Pemberton. One commenter wrote she was quoted $250 to get from Pemberton to Whistler one morning during the busy holiday period, although she didn’t indicate what company she was referring to.
Any complaints around compliance can be directed to the Passenger Transportation Branch, the enforcement arm of B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation, by contacting 604-527-2198 or [email protected].
