Taken May 2 in North Battleford (battlefordsNOW)

By battlefordsNOW and meadowlakeNOW Staff

Record highs

Taxi drivers feeling the rise of gas prices

May 2, 2022 | 6:22 PM

Paying at the pump is affecting all of Saskatchewan, but especially transportation based businesses.

Deliveries are a primary service hit hardest by gas prices that reached record highs nationally back in March. In Saskatchewan, the prices remain just short of $1.7 per litre in almost every market, making the job of workers like taxi drivers very difficult.

Mohammed Rashid Warraich, owner of North Battleford City Cab, said the situation is hurting taxi businesses and drivers. He stressed that combined with inflation, unemployment and other factors, gas is impacting every paycheck.

“It affects everyone, transportation, food prices, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “We can’t survive [at this level] forever.”

Warraich noted that it’s been difficult to try to make small changes to cover costs without causing more tension with customers already reeling from costs.

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“We try to raise fares a little bit, but the clients are not happy. They always start arguments with us about it, some even get physically confrontational,” he added.

Were the situation to drag out past the spring and summer, Warraich said his concern would increase. Drivers can sometimes turn off their vehicles while awaiting the next call, but in the winter time, that changes quickly.

“We cannot stay in a cold car for long,” Warraich said. “And we have to run around to look for business in busy areas. We have to move all the time.”

He floated the question of some kind of government relief from the price, to at least allow taxi companies and other businesses to cover expenses.

As of May 2, the average price of regular gas at stations in the Battlefords sits at 169.9 cents, while it’s currently 167.9 cents in Meadow Lake. Viral Patel, Owner of Mr. Taxi in Meadow Lake, said this has taken most of their profits.

“We drive so much in a small town, you don’t have the same fares,” he said. “The profit margin is very low, most of it goes to gas.”

While they’ve avoided making any major adjustments, Patel said they’re getting ready for the possibility of significant change if this drags on and there isn’t any relief.

“Even a little bit helps, but if it doesn’t we have to make sense of our hours,” he said. “We have already shorted them so we aren’t 24 hours.”

That is one of the hardest parts for drivers to manage. Patel said trying to explain the situation to clients is difficult.

“I hear it from customers about how expensive it is, but [unfortunately] it’s expensive for us too,” he said.

Left waiting

Business delivering food and other items are met with the same obstacle. Yvonne Von Grad, Owner of City Convenience in Meadow Lake, said they’ve been dealing with rising costs for months.

“We started charging for deliveries and when we get our freight coming in, the costs have gone up as well,” she said.

When asked on whether she’s reached out to local politicians about industry concerns, Von Grad said she didn’t see any advantage to be gained.

“What is an MP going to tell you, the price is going up and there’s nothing they can do about it?”

Moving forward, she said they’ll continue to adjust to the extent that they can, but wonders when people will reach a breaking point.

“Things can only go so high before people can’t afford them,” Von Grad said. “And they have to understand as well that we can’t eat up all the costs.”

“We’ll keep prices as real as we can, but it is what it is.”

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW