More unregulated taxis on Quebec roads after deregulation

Since the taxi industry was deregulated to allow Uber into the market, more and more unregistered taxis are on the roads in Quebec.

Champlain Taxi general manager George Boussios said there are a variety of ways to know if the taxi is legit. 

“So the first thing people should notice when they enter the car is this blue sticker with the rates that is done from the commission, the transport. That's an official sticker,” he said. "Then once you open the door and you're sitting inside, you will see and TVQ (tax) number, you will see his identification from the SAAQ. That looks like a driver's license.”

There must also be a physical or virtual tablet meter that is clearly visible in the cab. 

Boussios says fake taxis have always existed, but they became harder to spot when the industry deregulated.

“We had a T plate, we had a pocket number [and] our domes were all the same,” he said. “Everybody can distinguish a taxi from the dome and people felt safer and we knew who was driving on the road.”

Online shopping sites like Amazon sells generic taxi domes for under $30, which are not illegal but can cause confusion, Boussios says.

“There's always been taxi drivers and taxi owners that were never affiliated with taxi associations,” he said. “In French, we call them phantoms. In English we call it independent taxi drivers. They would still have the traditional taxi dome, but now without the law, they don't have to get that dome. It doesn't mean they are illegal, it just means they are not affiliated with a taxi company."

The Quebec auto insurance board (SAAQ) oversees the industry but did not reply to CTV News requests for comment.

Bourrios said the industry needs more regulation.

"Hopefully, they will give some power back to the city, and there will be a little bit more control in the taxi industry as well as the Uber industry, because let's not forget, there's a lot of illegal Uber drivers out there, too," he said, adding that tighter controls will mean more accountability and a safer ride home.