There’s a sense of urgency among city councillors to deal with several of Halifax’s taxi industry issues, including a proposed rate hike, in advance of newly-elected members taking office.

Members of Halifax Regional Municipality’s former council will hold a public meet tonight to discussed the proposed fare increase as well as safety issues and zoning.

“I guess some of [councillors] felt it should be dealt with the old council in case some of the councillors changed, and some of them did change,” said Coun. Gloria McCluskey (Dartmouth Centre).

Tonight’s meeting at the World Trade and Convention Centre at 6 p.m. will address an August report which suggested taxi rates increase by 8.9 per cent.

The hike would cost passengers an extra $1.60 for a 10 km ride. If approved, it would be the first increase in seven years.

“It’s fine for council to sit around, or staff to sit around and decide what it should be, but I want to hear it directly from the drivers themselves,” said McCluskey.

It could be an emotional evening for drivers as rates have long been a contentious issue within the industry.

“In my discussions with members of the industry over the past months, it’s split 50-50,” said Coun. Steve Adams (Spryfield-Herring Cove). “Some say they need them, some say they don’t because there’s generally a corresponding loss in business when a raise is implemented, regardless of how big it is.”

Rates are not the only issue being discussed tonight.

Adams, who once chaired of the now-disbanded municipal taxi commission, said zoning and safety are also an issue.

There have been several suggestions that the city needs a better system for moving people out of the downtown late at night and early in the morning when the bars close.

Opening up taxi zones during that time would allow more service to the area, but Adams is also concerned it could put drivers at risk for confrontations with rowdy and intoxicated downtown bar patrons.

“We are using taxi drivers, for lack of a better term ‘paddy-wagons with roof lights,’ to get rid of those out of the downtown,” he said. “If those individuals that are down there are the issue than you’re taking it from an open environment to an environment where drivers are really defenseless against attacks.”