WINNIPEG — CTV Winnipeg says it has obtained figures from the police service showing that over the last year, 15 allegations of sexual assault, indecent acts and suspicious circumstances have been made against cab drivers in the city.
The statistics represent complaints filed between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb.19 of this year.
Jackie Traverse, founder of an ride-sharing service for indigenous women called Ikwe Safe Rides, says the cope of the problem is "huge."
She says hundreds of women have signed up over the past six weeks.
Driver Deanna Thompson says there is a recurring theme among many of the women using the service — "they're mostly afraid."
The Winnipeg Taxi Alliance says it takes the accusations seriously.
"If there's a complaint launched against our drivers, they are immediately pulled from the road until an investigation, either by the company or by the Manitoba Taxicab Board, or both," said spokesman Luc Lewandoski.
To make it easier to file a complaint, the Winnipeg Taxi Alliance is putting decals in all of its cabs giving customers an email address.
The group has also launched a full website to allow for more feedback.
Another way drivers can be held accountable is by examining the cameras in the cabs. Right now, those cameras only take still photos and don't record audio but the Taxicab Board says older cameras are already being replaced with newer models capable of recording audio.
