SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
                                      P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
                                      JULY 11, 1996

   Career and Community Studies Division
   715 McBride Boulevard
   New Westminster, B.C.  V3L 5T4
   Telephone (604) 525-5422
   Fax (604) 528-5640

   20 June 1996

   Mr. Paul Teichroeb
   Deputy Chief License Inspector
   Permits and Licenses Dept.
   City of Vancouver
   453 - West 12th Ave.
   Vancouver, B.C., V5Y 1V4

   Dear Mr. Teichroeb:

   Re:  Proposed Amendment, Vehicles for Hire By-law No. 6066:  Letter of
        support from the TaxiHost Project Working Group

   The TaxiHost Project Working Group (PWG) firmly supports the proposed
   amendments to City of Vancouver By-law No. 6066 making the completion of
   TaxiHost Level 1 or equivalent a requirement for all new taxicab drivers
   in the City of Vancouver.

   The PWG is the principal working sub-committee of the Greater Vancouver
   Taxi Partnership Committee and has a mandate to provide broadly-based
   taxi industry input during the implementation of Level 1 of the TaxiHost
   Training Program.  The PWG has been meeting regularly for at least two
   years, and sixteen organizations, including five taxi companies, are
   currently represented on it.  (See membership list on page 2.)

   At its regular meeting on 12 June 96 the Project Working Group
   unanimously passed the following resolution:

        Resolved that TaxiHost Level 1 be made mandatory for new taxicab
        drivers and that Project Working Group members take action to
        achieve this at both the Municipal and Provincial levels, with time
        frames and methods to be determined in discussion with affected
        parties.

   Our committee appreciates the leadership being shown by the City of
   Vancouver in making taxicab driver training mandatory.  We believe that
   proper training of drivers is essential for providing quality service to
   our citizens and visitors, and for improving profitability for taxi
   companies and individual drivers.  We are confident that the 27-hour
   TaxiHost Level 1 program provides a good start toward improving taxi
   service and safety.  We are also pleased that, despite resistance by
   some members of the industry, nearly 50% of the estimated 3800 drivers
   in the region have now enrolled in the TaxiHost Level 1 program or the
   challenge process.  We believe that mandatory training will help to
   ensure that high quality service is provided routinely by all companies
   serving the region.

   In keeping with the above resolution, I have been asked by the Project
   Working Group to do whatever I can to support the mandatory training
   amendment proposed for City of Vancouver By-Law No. 6066.  Please let me
   know how I can be of help.

   Sincerely,

   Keith Wilkinson
   Chair, TaxiHost Project Working Group
   & TaxiHost Centre Consultant

   cc   Al Lund, Director, Pacific Traffic Education Centre
        Jasbir Sandhu, Manager, TaxiHost Centre
        Pat Ross, Dean, Career and Community Services, Justice Institute of
        B.C.


   TaxiHost Project Working Group - 1996 Membership

   -    Taxicab company representatives from:

        -    Black Top & Checker Cabs
        -    Bonny's Taxi
        -    Newton-Whalley Taxi
        -    Royal City Taxi
        -    Yellow Cab

   -    B.C. Taxi Association
   -    City of Vancouver Police Department Taxi Detail
   -    Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
   -    Justice Institute of B.C.
   -    Motor Carrier Commission
   -    Pacific Rim Institute of Tourism
   -    Pacific Traffic Education Centre
   -    TaxiHost Centre
   -    Tourism B.C.
   -    Tourism Vancouver
   -    Vancouver International Airport Authority