Ottawa's response to Uber compared to cities across Canada

Uber has been banned or pushed out of some Canadian cities but continues to compete with traditional, regulated cabs in others as municipalities proposed new ways to regulate and license the drivers.

Uber pushed out of some cities but continues to compete with traditional cabs in others

CBC News Posted: Sep 16, 2015 3:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 16, 2015

Ride-sharing companies like Uber are not allowed to pick up customers by being hailed from the street. The city gave out 12 tickets in 2017 to drivers breaking this rule. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said the city has sped up the taxi bylaw reviewand expects a full report to be available by the end of December.

Outside consultant KPMG is expected to review fare structures, andcould recommend waysto regulate, rather than ban, Uber, which currently disregards Ottawa'slicensing and insurance regulations.

The Uber app allows passengers to book a ride, track it in real time on a GPS map and does away with the exchange of cash by requiring automatic credit card payment.

The City of Ottawa maintains that Uber is illegal, and continues to target drivers in time-consuming and resource-intensive undercover stings in order to charge them.

Since Uber began operating in Ottawa in October 2014, 142 charges have been laid against 64 drivers. So far,56 drivers have pleaded guilty to 112 charges, with fines totaling nearly$40,000, according to the City of Ottawa.

Uberhas been banned or pushed out of some Canadian cities butcontinues to compete with traditional, regulatedcabs in others.

Here's a round up of the response to Uberacross the country.

Kitchener-Waterloo Region

Kitchener-Waterloobecame the first municipality in Ontario to proposeregulatingride sharing services, like Uber. The new bylaw would requireall Uber driversto have a GPS andclosed circuit television system, as well ascommercial auto insurance policies for a minimumof $2million to qualify for an auxiliary taxi driver licence.

Toronto

A City of Toronto staff report up for debate todaycalls fora new licensing category that would allow ride-hailing services, such as Uber to operate, but taxi industry leaders continue to argue that wouldmean the "death of the industry."

Under the new licence,Uberdrivers would have to buy a permit, carry insurance, undergo a background checkand ensure theirvehicle is safe.The report also recommends that base taxi fares be dropped by $1 to $3.25 to make traditional cabs more competitive.

Hamilton

The City of Hamilton is also considering changes toits taxibylaws to "include a review of new business models, including those that comprise the sharing economy." Bylaw officers have been cracking down with charges against alleged Uber drivers, includingoperating as a taxi driver with no licence and failing to provideproof of third-party liability insurance of at least $2 million.

Edmonton

The City of Edmonton has plans to legalize Uber with new regulations butUberdrivers say the move woulddrive them out of business due to high costs. Uber drivers say the cost ofcriminal record checks, vehicle inspections, licence applications and commercial insurance would be about $6,800 a year.

Public hearings were scheduled at Edmonton City Hall today as Uber drivers planned to hold a rallyoutside.

Vancouver

The taxi industry in Vancouver successfully fought the relaunch of Uber last year.Uberoperated in Vancouver for about six months in 2012 but stopped operationsafter the provincial transportation regulator imposed a minimum fare of $75 per trip.Now taxi drivers there havelaunched their owneCabappthat allows passengers to hail a cab and pay for it on theirsmartphone.

Calgary

Uberwas forced to stop operating after a brief time in Calgary in2014.Calgary taxi companies joined other Canadian taxi companies in a campaign called Taxi Truths with the goal of detailing the differences between regulated and illegal cabs.