

Chris Herhalt, CP24.com





Friends of a woman who was shot dead outside Muzik nightclub over the long-weekend tried to flee the area in a cab but drivers refused to take her because she was only travelling a short distance from the scene.

A friend of Ariela Navarro-Fenoy who was with her at the time confirmed to CP24 that taxi drivers turned them away because the fare would only be about $8.

However, according to the City of Toronto Municipal Code, a taxi driver is “not permitted to refuse a fare based on limited distance unless the area is in a remote place which the driver reasonably believes to be unsafe.”

The women were looking to go to a residential area at Lake Shore Boulevard and Bathurst Street.

“Refusing a fare based on the distance or the amount the fare will total is not acceptable and not in compliance with the bylaw,” City of Toronto municipal licensing and standards director Tracey Cook said.

After gunshots rang out inside Muzik nightclub, killing 23-year-old Duvel Hibbert of Brampton, Navarro-Fenoy and her friends approached a line of taxi cabs parked along Dufferin Street, Navarro’s friend, Franca Abate said. A few minutes after approaching the cabs and being turned away, Abate said she heard more gun shots, and turned to see Navarro-Fenoy on the ground, bleeding.

At a press conference earlier this week, Toronto Police Deputy Chief Peter Sloly said an officer performed CPR on Navarro-Fenoy, but she succumbed to her wounds.

Despite the bylaw, on a busy night it is common practice for passengers to be refused service if they live in the downtown core as some drivers choose to hold out for pricier fares to the 905 region.

Cook said her office has received 286 complaints over the last year and a half and have issued 82 charges against drivers and cab owners for refusing fares.

“If anybody has this happen to them, the important information to have is the date, time and the taxicab number,” Cook said, adding cabs are required by law to post their unique number somewhere on the vehicle.

“Every complaint we receive is investigated, every driver we identify is cautioned,” Cook said. “If the person who was refused is willing to come to court, we will take (the drivers) to court and we will charge them for refusing the fare.”

Three other people were wounded by gunshots in and around Muzik nightclub Monday morning.

Police have set up a dedicated webpage for witnesses to submit pictures and video.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Friday afternoon Muzik nightclub said that it will remain closed this weekend so it can focus its resources on assisting police.

“It’s only been a few days since the tragic incident at Muzik shocked us all. We continue to struggle with the horror of Tuesday morning. This is not the Toronto we know and love. It was a horrific end to a weekend of events celebrating our city and its culture, ruined by the actions of a few criminals,” the statement read. “Our deepest condolences go to the friends and families of the victims. We have full confidence Toronto Police will get to the bottom of this horrific incident and bring these people to justice.”