Canada is a horribly, horribly conservative place. Best of luck offering innovative services that challenge incumbents.
http://daily.sightline.org/2011/08/05/freeing-taxis/
"What if the Northwest’s cities legally capped the number of pizza delivery cars? What if, despite growing urban population and disposable incomes, our Pizza Delivery Oversight Boards had scarcely issued new delivery licenses since 1975?"
I started talking about this with one of my Canadian friends and his response was basically that limiting the number of cabs was clearly a good thing and that it helped taxi drivers make a living. The argument that it was a bad thing for anyone trying to get into the taxi business didn't really sway him.
My general impression is that while Americans are more willing to stand aside when a market is clearly failing, Canadians are more willing to intervene when a market is clearly working.
I really have no idea why the hell there's a $75 minimum fee, that's absolutely ridiculous!
There are some pretty antiquated laws surrounding taxicabs in most larger cities, and the degree of regulatory capture in the industry is pretty staggering.
What's surprising is how blatant the protectionism is in this case.
What I do see are lots of lawsuits from incumbents about "unfair competition".
There is little wrong with the current cab system. Sometimes a race to the bottom isn't what is best for everyone involved.
