The Manitoba Taxicab Board has approved a mandatory side shield to protect drivers from attacks by front-seat passengers.
The shields are expected to be in place by the summer, states a release issued Friday by the board, a provincial regulatory agency.
The board also accepted a recommendation to "review and improve" the safety training course for new drivers.
Representatives from the taxicab industry, Workplace Health and Safety, Manitoba Labour, and the Winnipeg Police Service will develop the training.
Strobe light to be installed
As well, all taxis will be outfitted with a bright, flashing strobe light on the roof to alert the public and police when a driver is in trouble.
The taxicab board will also work with Manitoba Public Insurance to look at anti-theft devices currently in use in other jurisdictions to see whether those should also be adopted.
All cabs are also going to have security cameras installed by Oct. 1, 2010. That decision was made earlier this year by the board and will be paid for by a 20-cent-per-kilometre fare increase effective April 1.
The safety measures follow a number of attacks on taxi drivers over the past several weeks.
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