Taxi drivers take dress code fight over black jeans to court

Some Montreal taxi drivers are fighting back against what they see as an excessively strict interpretation of their new dress code.

The group is expected to file an injunction this morning against the City of Montreal's taxi bureau.

Since January, a municipal bylaw obliges Montreal taxi drivers to wear clean, black pants and a white shirt. From May 1 to Sept. 30, bermuda shorts are permitted.

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The new dress code was part of changes aimed at improving taxi service amidst increasing competition from companies such as Uber. 

Taxi driver Mouhcine El Meliani says when the city adopted the bylaw, there was no mention of jeans not being allowed.

"In the [rules], nothing talks about jeans, or silk pants or pants in viscose or polyester," he said.

"It's black, clean pants."

El Meliani says the taxi bureau added that ban to the rules without the city's approval.

He says he was given a $174 ticket twice in a span of 20 days for wearing clean, black jeans. 

More than 100 other cabbies have been ticketed for wearing clean black jeans, he says.

He and the other drivers will ask the court to suspend the dress code until the matter is settled.

El Meliani hopes a judge will hear their request for an injunction today.