Majority of Saint John taxis targeted for safety, licensing checks found not fit for transporting public

Nipun Tiwari · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 20, 2026 4:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 20

Police and public safety officials recently targeted Saint John taxi operators to check their regulatory compliance — including whether they were considered safe to drive in. More than a dozen cars were not.

According to a Saint John Police Force release, of 31 vehicles checked, 18 failed spot inspections and were "immediately placed out of service" for repairs.

“Having these blitzes and random checks creates a level of trust that the three levels of government are doing this to make sure the roads are safe for those who use those avenues for transportation,” said Kevin Loughery, the city’s interim chief operating officer.

Two drivers were found to be operating without a valid license and eight were towed due to safety-related concerns. 

The police did not say what prompted the investigation, name companies, or say what types of issues were found that led to vehicles being taken out of service.

The Saint John Transit Commission oversees the bylaw enforcement for taxis in the city.

“The city's taxi inspector is responsible for ensuring that taxis and drivers comply with the local vehicle-for-hire bylaw and they meet their licensing requirements set out in that bylaw,” Loughery said.

The commission inspector, Loughery said, would look at lights, tires, meters, overall cleanliness and making sure motor vehicle inspections and licenses are up to date

“That would include them holding valid drivers' licenses, taxi and chauffeur licenses, up-to-date insurance and registration, criminal record checks, and vulnerable sector checks, and to ensure that the proper information is displayed in every taxi,” he said.

However, Loughery said, city inspectors are not licensed automotive technicians.

“So they are not getting down underneath the vehicle and looking at ball joints and everything like that," he said.

“We rely on the provincial system the same as every other motor vehicle on the road would for that inspection.”

Asked if there were measures that ensure taxi operators maintain annual inspections, Loughery said the vehicles have expiry dates displayed on windows that show inspection dates. 

“The same goes for the operator. From an operator perspective, their license expires every year on their birth date, and the annual inspection to operate a taxi expires 365 days after it was initially licensed,” he said.

“Those would be files that we hold at transit on behalf of the taxi inspector.”

Loughery said taxi drivers with expired licenses can face a roughly $140 fine. 

CBC News contacted the public safety department Tuesday and requested an interview. A spokesperson acknowledged the request but did not respond by time of publication.