Uber aims to resume operation in Calgary on Dec. 6

Uber will resume operations in Calgary on Dec. 6, provided a temporary injunction is lifted, company and city officials said Wednesday.

"Uber asked us yesterday whether we would lift the injunction."We responded to them last night saying 'yes, we are prepared to lift the injunction,' but we need to discuss the costs associated with that injunction in the first instance almost a year ago,"said RyanJestin, director of community standards for the city.

"I don't see any reason why it cannot be decided within the next few days."

• Uber plans to relaunch in Calgary by early December after city adopts new bylaw

Jestin said the city wants Uber to repay costs associated with the city's investigation into the company operating illegally, plusthe cost of filing the injunction.

"It's in the magnitude of under twenty-thousand dollars," he said.

Ramit Kar, Uber's general manager for western Canada, said they are open to having that conversation.

"We'll continue discussions but I'm optimistic everything should be sorted out by next Tuesday," he said.

The announcement comes days after city council voted to amend its bylaws to allow transportation network companies (TNCs) to operate.

The new fee structure will chargean annual TNC fee of $5,000 to $20,000, depending on the size of the company's driver roster, plus fees of $15 per driver and 20 cents per trip.

The TNC fee scale works as follows:

• 1 to 100 drivers: $5,000
• 101 to 500 drivers: $10,000
• 501 to 1,000 drivers: $15,000
• 1,001 drivers or more: $20,000

The new fee structure was approved as a one-year pilot project with council to review the changes in 2017.

"The big issues from before is [the bylaws] were really designed around full-time drivers and there were high barriers for folks who wanted to take part in ride sharing," said Kar.

"What this new model does is put much more of the burden on to Uber, on to TNCs, so that will allow more part-time drivers to take part."

Uber is a ride-hailingservice thatallowsdrivers to use their personal vehicles to ferry people around for a fee.

Kar said 100,000Calgarians have downloaded the app, along with thousands of potential drivers. Uber also plans to expand operations to what Kar called the "surrounding areas" when they relaunch.

The company is also exploring accessibility options.

"There's different models on how that works," said Kar.

"We'd explore what makes the most sense for Calgary. In Toronto, specifically, we've contracted out to other companies that have accessible solutions."

Uber initially launched, illegally, in October 2015, and the city was granted theinjunction a month later.

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