Concerns about taxi safety in Whitehorse have resurfaced after charges were filed against a local driver.

Jaspal Singh Tamber, 25, was charged Oct. 3 with two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping.

He was arrested after two women alleged they were sexually assaulted by a male taxi driver while they were a passenger in his vehicle in separate incidents on Sept. 29.

While only one individual has been charged, some members of the public are expressing concern with general taxi safety in Whitehorse.

Sarah Murphy, the program co-ordinator for the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre, says the issue isn’t something new.

“This has been identified as a major problem in Whitehorse, across Canada and North America,” she said.

“Taxis are really not safe places for vulnerable people, particularly women.”

Wrote letter

Last August, several women’s organizations wrote a letter to the local taxi companies and Mayor Dan Curtis, detailing that these concerns need to be taken seriously, Murphy said.

And in the past, it has come to public attention that violence and sex being exchanged for rides have been issues in the local vehicle for hire industry.

“I think we’re sorely in need of some more safe transportation options,” Murphy said.

While taxi safety is a specific issue, she noted, it speaks to larger concerns with sexualized violence in society.

Chalking problems up to the actions of single individuals, she added, isn’t going to create effective change.

“I think people in general need to take this more seriously,” she said. “There’s such an apathy towards sexualized violence in society.”

She referenced the recent widespread accusations against American film producer Harvey Weinstein. This has brought to light how sexualized violence can go unreported and challenges that victims can face coming forward.

“Most people turn a blind eye to this kind of stuff everyday,” Murphy said. “Overall, we need to learn to hold people accountable for this kind of behaviour.”

Some measures have been taken by the City of Whitehorse to strengthen safety when it comes to the vehicle for hire industry.

In early August, the city passed bylaw amendments that would require owners of certain businesss, including taxi companies, to have a criminal records check to get a business licence.

Individual cases

But it will not be a blanket restriction on anyone with a criminal record; the city will look at each case on an individual basis.

According to a report by Tom Wyers, the city’s bylaw services supervisor, the changes were meant to address concerns over “illegal activities in the vehicle for hire industry.”

Under the Vehicle for Hire bylaw, drivers are also required to get a criminal records check and have their fingerprints taken, along with other requirements, to get a hire permit.

The bylaw services office will not issue nor renew a permit to anyone convicted of any sexual offence, an offence relating to homicide, kidnapping, abduction, robbery or extortion, trafficking drugs or narcotics, or any offence while on duty as a driver.

Further changes to the Vehicle for Hire bylaw went into effect in May 2017.

These include a requirement that all taxis have public safety cameras recording passengers. The changes were first adopted in July 2015, giving companies almost two years to comply.

“The cameras are there to provide safety to the passengers and the drivers of the vehicles,” bylaw manager Dave Pruden explained in an interview.

He added that all taxis are inspected twice a year, in November and May, to make sure that they are in compliance with city bylaws.

As well, bylaw officers make randaom plainclothes inspections of taxis and base stations throughout the year.

“That allows the ability for people to feel safer and provide some infrastructure to make sure we deal with safety issues as best we can,” Pruden said.

During the last few months, he noted, inspections have resulted in charges for cleanliness, trip records and placards.

“Trip records are an important part of the safety aspect, as it is a record of the night’s events,” he said.

Under the bylaw, the fine for a first offence for not having a security camera installed is $100, followed by $250 and $2,500 for second and third offences.

There are also fines of $2,500 for failing to capture images or produce images from the security camera.

“I wouldn’t imagine companies want to be getting too many $2,500 fines,” Pruden said.

Murphy agreed that the changes are an important step in increasing safety but noted that under the bylaw, images from security cameras only have to be kept for 72 hours. This could be an issue, she said, as research has shown survivors of sexualized violence often take time to come forward.

Tamber is not the first Whitehorse taxi driver to face charges for allegations of violence.

In October 2012, Rodrigo Torres, 47, was convicted of sexual assault against an intoxicated then-23-year-old female passenger in December 2011. The conviction was later upheld on appeal.

Former Whitehorse taxi driver Roy Mervyn, 57, also pled guilty to dangerous driving and assault in January 2014.

He admitted to assaulting a woman at a party on the evening of Dec. 1, 2012, then driving two passengers when he was intoxicated.