The owners of Sackville's two taxi businesses say they\u2019re struggling with the high price of gas, but electric vehicles remain out of reach financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not Irving Oil that makes a million dollars a day,\u201d says Larry Parsons, owner of Sackville Cab. \u201cYou make enough to have a car that's fit for the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
His company has a fleet of four Mazda5 compact minivans. The four-cylinder engine vehicles seat six people, and he says they\u2019re dependable.\u00a0One of those vehicles isn\u2019t being used at all as demand has dropped for taxis.<\/p>\n
Danny Mitton, owner of Squires Courtesy Cab, is the sole driver for his small business. His fleet includes two Toyota Priuses: he keeps one of the hybrid vehicles on standby, filled with gas.<\/p>\n
He says gas and insurance prices are killing his business, but he isn\u2019t convinced EVs are a viable solution, at least for now. For one thing, he says they\u2019re too expensive even with a rebate program introduced by the provincial government last year.<\/p>\n
New Brunswick followed other provinces in introducing a rebate of up to $5,000 for eligible vehicles, to match a federal rebate, for a total of up to $10,000 in rebates.<\/p>\n
For more on this story, check out the report that aired on CHMA on Thursday, June 16, 2022.<\/p>\n\n