Ottawa taxi drivers 'livid' after Uber legalization recommended

Ottawa taxi drivers are expressing their outragethatCity of Ottawastaff are recommending legalizingUberafter the cityspent nearly 18 monthsfighting the app-basedride-hailing service.

Since Uber arrived in Ottawa in October 2014, city bylaw staff have targeted dozens ofUberdrivers in time-consuming and resource-intensive undercover stings in order to charge them for operating unlicensed taxi cabs.

On Thursday, Coun. Diane Deans said the city is "taking the handcuffs off" the taxi industry after a lengthy bylaw review.

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Some taxi drivers are now accusingthe city of giving them "the runaround."

"Why would they legalize something that hasn't been legal for the past ... years?" said taxi driver SobhiFliti.

"There's no point for paying all these fees for the past 10years ... They took [our] money ... and they want us to keep our mouths shut. That's not fair," said Fliti, referencing the fees that taxi drivers pay to thecity to operate.

Drivers' investment 'eroded dramatically'

Before Uber arrived, a typical taxi licence in Ottawa was valued at $300,000, according to Hanif Patni,president of Coventry Connections, which operates several taxi fleets in the city.

Patni saidsince Uber launched, the value of that licence has gone down, leaving drivers who used their life savings to buy onewith an investment that has been "eroded dramatically."

"Ofcourse drivers would be livid by that," said Patni.

He added he recognizes the city is trying to create alevel playing fieldby reducing driver licence feesand eliminatingthe $1.50 service charge for debit and credit transactions in taxis.

But Patnisaid, "we don't think that's adequate and we are going to study that carefully and make someresponses to the city."

Thursday'srecommendations will be debated bycouncillorsat a committee meeting next week, and, if approved, will move on to council on April 13. The new regulations could be in effect as soon as June 30.