INSIDE

Taxi temporarily shuts down

If you call the local cab company today you’ll get an apology, but not a ride.

“I’ve temporarily suspended service in Point Roberts pending applications with a couple of different departments of the B.C. provincial government,” said Point Roberts Taxi owner Darren Katamay.

Katamay said he was surprised when last month he got a ticket and learned he would need to pay $35 every time he entered Canada. “We did our research when we started and according to federal law through the North American Free Trade Agreement we are allowed to transport to Canada and pick up,” Katamay said. “This is strictly a provincial matter. We need to pay for permission to do our job.”

Without the ability to transport to and from Canada, Katamay said, they could no longer afford to operate locally. “It’s financially impossible to cover our costs by operating only within Point Roberts,” he said.

Once he secures a quarterly permit for commercial vehicles from the insurance corporation of British Columbia and an annual permit from provincial passenger transportation authorities, Katamay said he plans to resume Point Roberts operations. “I’m pretty confident this will go through and I’m hoping we can get back in business by Christmas,” he said.

When the local cab does start rolling again, in large part, Katamay stressed, because his drivers have been willing to stick with the company, he hopes they get to enjoy a busy holiday season. “I hope we can get as much support as we can from the community,” he said. “After three years, it’s been a hard go.”