Protesters advocate for Safe Taxis at Whitehorse City Hall

Friday, 24 November 2023 14:11

By Stuart Bonell

Protesters outside Whitehorse City Hall hold signs with messages like "Safe Taxis for all," and "Safe taxis now" (Photo, S.Bonell

The protest marks the launch of this year's 16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence campaign, running from November 24 to December 10.

Protesters gathered outside Whitehorse City Hall to voice their support for safe taxis in the capital, Friday afternoon. Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Executive Director Sofia Ashley was one of the organizers of the event. She says that the protest kicked off this year’s 16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence campaign, running until December 10.

“So, it’s the time of year where we highlight violence against women, violence against folks living outside of the gender binary,” said Ashley outside City Hall. “And violence in taxis is something that’s very very prevalent in our community.”

“We [the Yukon Women’s Coalition] released a report in January of 2022 […] with recommendations on how to make taxis safer in Whitehorse. [Because] there’s still an unprecedented level of violence happening with taxis and, in particular, Indigenous women were reporting more severity in violence and more violence overall in taxis.”

In last year’s taxi safety survey, 82% of indigenous respondents reported that they had been made uncomfortable or scared by things that were said. 49% said they were targeted, compared to 10% of non-Indigenous respondents.

One of the recommendations from the Yukon Women’s Coalition is ensuring that every taxi has a functioning security camera, and that the footage is being saved in case it needs to be used as evidence. Other recommendations include bringing more public awareness to taxi violence and implementing additional oversight and training for taxi companies.

The City of Whitehorse and the Government of Yukon have been trying to negotiate free transit in Whitehorse. Ashley says that while she sees the benefit of free transit, travelling by bus isn’t always possible.

“Depending on the state someone’s in, if they come in, even in the middle of the day, and maybe they’re in the middle of some kind of mental health crisis or challenge, the bus might not be the best option for them in that moment,” said Ashley.

“Getting to the bus, getting on the bus, staying safe on the bus, may not be good. So, that is definitely part of the solution, but every transportation method needs to be a safe transportation method.”

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