He owns the city's largest fleet of taxi cabs. She's semi-retired and has been in the taxi industry since 1964.

Together, they were the only two drivers to attend the city's special training for Hamilton cab drivers leading up to the Pan Am Games.

Of the 1,200 possible attendees, only two people showed up to a session on Tuesday leading up to the July event. The city initially wanted to charge $25 for the session and make it mandatory. But when the taxi drivers' union pushed back, the city made it voluntary and free.

I know they're all working and they're all trying to make a living, but this is part of making a living, knowing where to go. - Gisele Maurice, taxi driver

The training includes transportation plans during the July 10 to 26 event, as well as how taxi drivers will be "ambassadors" for Hamilton, said Ken Leendertse, director of licensing.

"It's a little disappointing, definitely," Leendertse said of the turnout. "But we have done the marketing internally with the brokers and everyone is well aware of it. We also got the union to make their members aware of it."

The city has implemented a new annual four-hour, $100 training course for taxi drivers. This year's course was going to be six hours and cost $125, and include the Pan Am training Leendertse said.

But when the taxi drivers union balked, the city relented, and instead made the Pan Am Games portion voluntary.

The city is offering another session Friday. The sessions are scheduled to be two hours, but Tuesday's presentation only lasted about 40 minutes.

Jagtar Singh Chahal, president of Hamilton Cab, and veteran driver Gisele Maurice were the only two drivers there on Tuesday.

Chahal said 1 to 3 p.m. on weekday afternoons is a bad time to assemble taxi drivers.

"This is not a good time," he said. "This is after a long weekend."

Maurice said she was disappointed more drivers weren't there.

"I thought everybody would want to be well informed," said Maurice, who is technically retired but still drives some shifts. "I know they're all working and they're all trying to make a living, but this is part of making a living, knowing where to go."

During Tuesday's session, staff explained the basics of the games, ticket costs, travel routes, and venues for some of the city's 16 days of celebrations, among other details.

Chahal said he already has special Pan Am plans for his drivers, including suits and car decals.