Vehicle for Hire Passengers

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The City of Edmonton wants to make sure everyone travelling around the Edmonton region in a vehicle for hire is travelling safely.

The City of Edmonton is committed to overseeing the vehicle-for-hire services operated in the City. The Vehicle for Hire unit ensures safety, accessibility, and consumer protection for Edmontonians who use vehicle for hire services.

Which vehicle fits my needs?

There are different types of vehicles for hire operating in Edmonton, and each type is regulated differently. The following summarizes the identifications of different types of vehicles and some characteristics.

Transportation Network Vehicles (TNVs) and Private Transportation Providers (PTPs, individual operators) do not have specialized plates but PTPs must display their trade dress (specific design or markings) and sticker issued by the City. Passengers have a responsibility to notify the dispatchers about specific accommodations for the ride.

Limousine Vehicle

Vehicle for Hire Limousine Plate

Luxury vehicles for hire including sedans, stretch limousines, SUVs, and party buses
Must be pre-booked, cannot be hailed from the street

Private Transportation Providers (PTPs)

2019 Vehicle for Hire Sticker

A City of Edmonton Vehicle for Hire licence sticker

Vehicle must have the dispatcher’s name or logo visible from the exterior on the front and rear of the vehicle
Need to be pre-booked, usually on mobile applications
Must charge at least $3.50 per trip
You can ask for an estimated fare before a ride

Shuttle Vehicle

Vehicle for Hire Shuttle Plate

Have a predetermined route and schedule
Can only pick up and drop off passengers at fixed locations such as hotels and the airport

Taxi or Accessible Taxi

Standard City of Edmonton Taxi Plate

City of Edmonton Accessible Taxi Plate

Taxis

Can be hailed at your convenience or pre-booked
Must charge exactly the fare set out in the Vehicle For Hire Bylaw

Accessible Taxis

Vehicles are wheelchair accessible
Can be hailed at your convenience or pre-booked
Must charge exactly the fare set out in the Vehicle For Hire Bylaw
All accessible drivers are trained to assist people with disabilities
Prioritize requests from passengers who require mobility aids

Transportation Network Vehicles (TNVs, also known as Rideshare Services)

Vehicle must have the dispatcher’s name or logo visible from the exterior on the front and rear of the vehicle
Need to be pre-booked, usually on mobile applications
Must charge at least $3.50 per trip
You can ask for an estimated fare before a ride

Finding a ride

There are two ways to find a ride:

Hailing From the Street

Only taxis and accessible taxis can be hailed or flagged from the street in Edmonton. Other vehicles for hire, including rideshare vehicles, are not allowed to accept service requests from street hailing under the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.

Requesting a Vehicle in Advance

Trips with rideshare vehicles, private transportation providers, limousines, and shuttles must be requested in advance—usually by phone, website, or a mobile app. You can also request a ride in a taxi or accessible taxi in advance.

Other Accessible Transportation Services

For accessible transportation services, a number of different transportation services are available for pre-booking:

DATS (Dedicated Accessible Transit Service) offered by the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) - Registration and pre-booking are required
List of accessible transportation services providers

When booking a service, specify that you will need an accessible vehicle and provide details on the service needs you have, such as:

Wheelchair, or mobility aids
Service dog
Help with entering/exiting the vehicle

Note:

An accessible taxi must charge the same fares as a non-accessible taxi—they cannot charge more for accessible service
Your rights are protected under the Service Dogs Act (Alberta), the Blind Persons' Rights Act (Alberta), Alberta Human Rights Act, and other laws preventing discrimination

Safety Tips

When having a ride in a taxi, rideshare, limo, shuttle, or private transportation vehicle, always remember to SCAN:

Share your location and estimated time of arrival with people you trust before and during the ride.
Confirm the vehicle’s driver, plate, make, model, and colour are correct as provided to you by the dispatcher or shown on the app before getting on board. Note the information down in case you need to file a complaint.
Assess your surroundings and make sure you can see the driver’s identification and required vehicle markings.
Never share more information than needed to get to the destination.

Vehicle for Hire Fares

Fares for taxis, accessible taxis, private transportation providers and transportation network vehicles are regulated by Vehicle for Hire Bylaw 17400.

Taxi and Accessible Taxi Fares

Minimum Fare

Up to the first 135 meters:

Street Hail: $4.10
Pre-arranged via mobile app or written agreement: $3.50

Additional Charges

Each additional 135 meters: $0.25
Each additional 24 seconds of waiting time: $0.20

Cancellation Charges

Upon arrival, without prior notice:

Street Hail: $4.10
Pre-arranged via mobile app or written agreement: $3.50

*Per the Vehicle For Hire Bylaw 17400 , no additional fees can be added to Taxi and Accessible Taxi rates

Private Transportation Providers and Transportation Network Vehicles

Minimum Fare

$3.50

Additional Charges

At the discretion of the service provider. Request a fare estimate when booking your ride.

Cancelling Charges

Upon arrival, without prior notice: $3.50

Trips to the Airport

Taxis and Accessible Taxis

Must charge either the rates listed in the Taxis and Accessible Taxis details, or the rate stated in the flat rate Edmonton International Airport fare map , whichever is less.

Other Vehicles for Hire

Request an estimate when booking your ride.

Report a Vehicle for Hire Complaint

Filing a complaint

If you wish to share a Vehicle for Hire experience with the City, you can do so by calling 311, or 780-442-5311 if outside of Edmonton.

Complaint Process

In the unfortunate situation where you have a negative experience with a Vehicle for Hire, the following steps show how the complaint process works.

Step 1: Incident

When an incident occurs, a passenger can submit a complaint to the City through 311 for further investigation.

The vehicle-for-hire unit in the City has the authority to investigate and enforce topics covered in the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw, including:

Driver conduct (such as ride refusal or not taking the most economical or requested route)
Driver and/or vehicle identification not shown
Poor mechanical condition of the vehicle

The City does not have jurisdiction over:

Interior cleanliness of the vehicle
Drivers' customer service approach or attitude
Illegal or criminal activity-please ensure this is reported to the EPS

If you are unsure as to whether the issue is a concern for the City or the company, please feel free to move to Step 2, as the City will review and provide any necessary direction.

Step 2: Contact 311

311 is Edmonton’s non-emergency contact for information and services and can be used to file a complaint for incidents involving the vehicle-for-hire industry.

Please file your complaint in a timely fashion, so as to assist in the investigation. Your phone number might be collected to follow up with you.

The City’s Vehicle for Hire team cannot follow up on complaints lodged solely through social media. A formal complaint through 311 must be made for an investigation to occur.

Provide as much information as you can to the 311 agent from the list below to help in the investigation:

Licence plate and vehicle number
Description of driver, vehicle, or company logo
Record of transaction
Phone number on vehicle
Date and time of incident/concern
Pick up and drop off location, or location of concern
Direction vehicle last heading
Description of incident/concern
Complainant information for fare issue

Step 3: Complaint Intake

If the complaint has been substantiated and falls within the jurisdiction of the City, a file will be created and assigned to the Vehicle for Hire (VFH) Enforcement Team through their dispatch:

If an offence is actively happening, an on-duty Peace Officer may be dispatched to investigate
If the complaint is post-incident, the file will be assigned to a Peace Officer on their complaint list to investigate

If your complaint is not within the City’s jurisdiction, the City will not be able to determine outcomes or solutions on such files.

Step 4: Investigation

The Vehicle for Hire enforcement team will investigate the complaint.

An officer may contact the complainant for additional information or to fill out a witness statement form.

The investigation* may include inspections, review of records and trips taken, review of photographs and video evidence and other information. Evidence is compiled and reviewed in its entirety.

*The complexity of the investigation will determine the time it takes to resolve the complaint.

Step 5: Resolution

The investigation will be concluded and enforcement action may or may not be taken based on the findings.

An officer may contact the complainant to discuss the outcome and answer any questions but the result may, or may not, be communicated, due to privacy and enforcement reasons.

Newsletters

Read the summer/fall 2024 Vehicle for Hire Newsletter

Read the spring 2024 Vehicle for Hire Newsletter

Read the December 2023 Vehicle for Hire Newsletter

Read the summer 2023 Vehicle for Hire Newsletter

Read the fall 2022 Vehicle for Hire Newsletter

Contact Us

311 Contact Centre

Online	Contact 311 Online

If you are calling from outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311

Phone	311
TTY	711

Vehicle for Hire Passengers

Which vehicle fits my needs?

Taxis

Accessible Taxis

Finding a ride

Hailing From the Street

Requesting a Vehicle in Advance

Other Accessible Transportation Services

Safety Tips

Taxi and Accessible Taxi Fares

Minimum Fare

Additional Charges

Cancellation Charges

Private Transportation Providers and Transportation Network Vehicles

Minimum Fare

Additional Charges

Cancelling Charges

Trips to the Airport

Taxis and Accessible Taxis

Other Vehicles for Hire

Filing a complaint

Step 1: Incident

Step 2: Contact 311

Step 3: Complaint Intake

Step 4: Investigation

Step 5: Resolution

Related Documents

Vehicle for Hire Fees

Vehicle for Hire Bylaw 17400

Service Dogs Act

Blind Persons' Rights Act

Newsletters

Contact Us

311 Contact Centre