A city report released on Thursday suggests that there is huge possibility for taxis running without any passengers in one direction between the city and the Edmonton International Airport for quite a long time, as of now.

The reason is that Airport Taxi Services, which has a contract with the Edmonton Airport Authority until 2011, does not have a license to carry passengers in Edmonton; and, on other hand, city cab companies can't collect customers at the airport.

"This division of power over the local taxi industry means vehicles must travel empty on one leg of the trip, and has led to different fares in different directions. A limousine from the airport to downtown costs$58, while going from downtown to the airport costs $75," informed a source on the condition of anonymity.

The situation was described as "embarrassing" for Edmonton, by Mayor Stephen Mandel last week, and confusing for visitors. The report is supposed to be discussed next week by council's community services committee. It informs that if a solution is to be found for the problem, then Edmonton and the airport authority need to agree on standard fares in both directions.