Winnipeg cab drivers are calling for compensation, and a level playing field, if and when services like Uber and Lyft are allowed to operate in Manitoba.

Bill 30, introduced by the Conservative government in the spring and still before the Legislature, would allow vehicle-for-hire services to operate here, and it would dissolve the Manitoba Taxicab Board, giving regulatory authority to municipalities.

Winnipeg cab owners rallied outside the Legislature yesterday. Wab Kinew, the leader of the NDP, spoke, voicing his support for some form of compensation, though he didn't say how much or who would pay for it.

Cab owner and operator Jaspal Bedi says they pay high prices to get into the business.

"Some of us have our houses (mortgaged), you know. We took money (out) on houses to buy these small (business) licenses, and we paid big prices for them, and now all of a sudden they're going to pull the rug out from underneath our families? So many people have loans left for $2-300,000 still owing to the bank, now it's going to be worth $0. They're not considering that. What are we supposed to do?"

Bedi says vehicle-for-hire services are just like taxis, and the rules should be the same for everybody.

"They're doing the same work. You know, they're picking up people and people are paying them for the ride, same thing we do."

Kinew similarly says he wants the bill changed to ensure vehicle-for-hire services and taxis follow the same rules and regulations.

The bill was supposed to receive its second reading yesterday but it was delayed because the Legislature was evacuated for what turned out to be a false alarm.

The legislation is supposed to come into force on February 28, 2018, or on a day to be fixed by proclamation, whichever comes first.