Child-safety advocates want Flin Flon taxi drivers to pass a criminal record check before getting behind the wheel.
The Flin Flon Sexual Exploitation of Youth Committee is asking for city council’s support in ensuring local cabbies pose no threat to youth passengers.
“One of the new initiatives that we are focusing on for this year is a ‘safe taxi’ by-law,” the committee wrote in a letter reviewed by council on Tuesday.
The committee wants a bylaw that would see taxi drivers clear a criminal record check that includes any involvement in child abuse, adult abuse or abuse involving other vulnerable sectors of society.
“As a committee, we feel that these additional steps would go a long way towards ensuring that children and youth who ride alone in a taxi are not being subjected to exploitation in exchange for a ride,” wrote the committee.
The committee made no claim that crimes against children are happening in local taxis, but noted that in Manitoba, cab drivers have been identified among others known to sexually exploit youth.
The committee said the City of Thompson already has a rule that requires taxi drivers to clear child abuse registry checks as a condition of employment. The same goes for Winnipeg.
In Flin Flon, council had no comment on the request, referring it to the committee level for further discussion.
Over the past three years, the committee’s activities have included the awareness-raising Grandmother’s Walk, the scheduling of speakers and educators, and partnerships with other committees to provide information on the sexual exploitation of youth.
