Saugeen Shores Council has approved a recommendation to suspend fee collection for taxi licensing. The goal is to reduce barriers for vehicles-for-hire services.

Staff has been directed to find out whether or not there are vehicle-for-hire discussions happening with the county or other municipalities.

"To go about that task, staff have been directed to approach the County of Bruce and the lower-tier municipalities to investigate if there is an appetite for vehicle-for-hire discussions being proposed in the upcoming 2025 Business Plans," read a July 4 media release from the Town.

“Town Council is continuing on its path to lower costs for local businesses so that they can provide enhanced services for our community,” said Mayor Charbonneau. “Through open discussions with the County and neighbouring municipalities we can hopefully gauge interest in moving forward on reducing regulatory barriers for the vehicle-for-hire industry for 2025.”

These discussions would propose for ride-sharing servicing opportunities across lower-tier boundaries without requiring a licence from each lower-tier municipality.

While the Town suspends the collection of fees for the taxi licensing regime, current licenses remain for both taxis and ride sharing service providers, with drivers and vehicles continuing to go through a vetting process.