Montreal taxi drivers call for UberX crack-down

Montreal taxi drivers say they will consider going on strike if the city doesnt do more to crack down on illegal carriers.

Members of the Montreal Taxi Owners Association (MTOA) say that alternative carriers, including UberX and ride services posted on online classifieds, have cost the taxi industry a large fraction of its business.

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Drivers go out to work and they come home with half of what they used to, said association administrator Kamal Sabbah.

He said the revenue loss hashad a considerable impact on the estimated 15,000licensed cab owners and drivers in the city.

Mayor Denis Coderre declared UberX illegalin October 2014, but the drivers say little has been down to enforce the law.

Theyre asking the city to increase fines, which arecurrentlybetween $350 and $1,500. They also want police to be more vigilant.

MTOA president Max-Louis Rosalbert says he also wants authorities to publicize their interventions, so that new people who are considering working these illegal jobs know they risk getting caught.

Sabbah says that for consumers, its a matter of safety.

Its secure for a client to take a taxi, he says, citing the permit, training and background checks required.

He says that in the case of illegal carriers, the client doesn't know who he's dealing with.

This is very important when you send your kid, someone you care about. You want to know who's driving your family.