AC/DC Taxi Sting In Edmonton Draws $55,000 In Tickets
September 2, 2009, 15 years ago
Alexandra Zabjek from Edmontonjournal.com is reporting:
The AC/DC concert in Edmonton drew thousands of fans to Commonwealth Stadium on Aug. 26 along with rogue limousine and taxi drivers who netted 68 tickets totalling $55,000.
A sting operation to catch illegal operators was set up at the concert, with sting operators flagging down cabs and limousines outside the stadium, the Vehicle for Hire Commission announced Wednesday. It was the second such sting in five days in Edmonton.
Tickets were handed down for infractions such as driving a limousine without valid insurance and driving unlicensed taxis.
“It’s busy nights like this that you’ll find fringe operators,” said Phil Fearon, from the commission.The latest sting came on the heels of a similar operation when peace officers and city staff worked out of two motels, calling for rides to the airport and the Fringe, from drivers who aren’t allowed to accept fares inside the city.
That undertaking yielded almost 50 tickets worth about $37,000.
The stings were the first such operations in several years and Fearon said the commission will continue to use similar tactics to crack down on illegal cabs.
“They’ve been more targeted than in the past and that will continue.”
Fearon said out-of-town taxi companies were even sent letters before the AC/DC sting, reminding them it is illegal for them to operate within city limits.
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