NEWS
metronews.ca Wednesday, March 7, 2012
03
Bizarre incident
Teen sought in sex assault on senior A boy is wanted in connection with a disturbing sexual assault of an elderly woman. Police say the incident took place at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday in the 100 block of Penworth Place S.E. According to a release, witnesses and the 78-year-old victim describe a youngster no older than 14 who asked for a kiss and tried to shove the senior into some bushes. A passerby intervened and the boy fled the scene. METRO
1 NEWS
Wages of sin
Prostitution ring busted: Police A southeast massage parlour was actually a front for a brothel, police say. Officers became suspicious of Time for Massage, located in the 1000 block of 19th Avenue S.E., after receiving tips about “illicit sexual activity” from residents at a community meeting. After an investigation, police charged Sunling Dim, 49, with keeping a bawdy house and proceeds of crime. A blitz against the sex trade last month netted another 23 charges. METRO Major crime
Rietze now on sexoffender registry Bradley Rietze, 47, of Calgary, pleaded guilty last month to raping and strangling 17-year-old Brittney McInnes in the Canyon Meadows home where they both lived. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. If he is ever granted parole, he will be required to report regularly to the authorities. METRO
Perceived late-night taxi shortages could be eased by extending Calgary Transit hours on weekends and staggering bar closing times, says the chair of an association that represents local cab companies. JEREMY NOLAIS/METRO
Taxi trade seeks to share late-night business Service. Introduction of stiffer impaireddriving laws and an ever-growing city population likely to put strain on taxi fleet
Follow the fleet •
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JEREMY NOLAIS
jeremy.nolais@metronews.ca
Late-night transit service and staggered bar-closing times are two ideas Calgary taxi companies plan to pitch as solutions to a perceived service crunch. Both ideas have been explored in the past and neither gained traction. But Len Bellingham, chairman of the Calgary Livery Association and president of Mayfair Taxi,
Push for more cabs. The taxi and limousine advisory committee is advocating for an additional 100 cab licences, including 50 for vehicles accessible by the disabled. Never one when you need one. City hall capped the number of taxi licences at a little over 1,300 in 1986. Since
says both proposals, if enacted, would help to ease the burden on companies like his. “The criticism we face for not providing service is not fair,” he said. “If you look at it, from 1 to 3 a.m. every night we are the only transportation out there. To me, these things are sure worth a try.”
then, only 100 wheelchairaccessible cabs have been added to the fleet, despite a surge in the population. •
Raising the bar. Best Bar None, a Calgary program that promotes safety at licensed establishments, cites “soft” closing times as a key.
While the association may be advocating sharing business with Calgary Transit, spokesperson Ron Collins says there are no plans to extend service past current hours. The idea has been discussed previously in citycouncil chambers. “We don’t have the budget for that, nor the re-
sources,” Collins said. But Bellingham disagrees, arguing that extended LRT service would be necessary only on weekend nights. “Six more hours a week is all you need. I don’t think that’s a big deal,” he said. As for staggering barclosing times, Calgary police explored the idea in late 2010 as a way of improving patron safety. Little headway was made at the time, but Ald. Druh Farrell says the idea still has merit. “Many other cities do something similar,” she said. The Livery Association plans to discuss its ideas during a meeting of the taxi and limousine advisory committee this month and could bring forward a pitch to city council in the spring.
On the web
Harry runs Prince Harry bolts forth in a race with the world’s fastest runner on Tuesday in Jamaica. Watch the “race” at metronews.ca/video
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