Uber operates unlicensed on first day of new bylaw

OttawaCitizen.com
Sept. 30, 2016
Jon Willing

Uber still wasn’t street legal in Ottawa on Friday, even though the city at the start of the business day launched regulations designed for the international ride-ordering company.

At the end of the day, the city confirmed it hadn’t issued a single “private transportation company” licence, but Uber said all of its drivers comply with the new city bylaw.

It’s just that Uber doesn’t have the licence to operate the service in Ottawa yet.

Uber sent a written statement through spokesperson Susie Heath.

“(Friday) marks another important milestone for bringing affordable on-demand transportation options to Ottawa and comes after many months of work with the city to update regulations for ride-sharing,” Heath said. “Over the last five months, we have been working to come into compliance with Ottawa’s new bylaw and as of (Friday), all driver partners on the platform are fully compliant. We have applied for our PTC licence and look forward to receiving it from the City of Ottawa soon.”

As long as Uber doesn’t have a licence, nothing will likely change.

On Saturday, the company celebrates its two-year anniversary operating in Ottawa. Dozens of Uber drivers have been charged under the taxi bylaw, but the company still thrives in the capital.

Council approved a new dual-licensing system for traditional taxis and PTCs this past April, allowing a lengthy delay before the bylaw came into effect. One of the council-approved requirements was to make sure the city had a list of PTC driver information two weeks before the start of the new bylaw.

While Uber says it’s compliant with the bylaw, the city says it can’t comment on a licence application.

The new bylaw also gives taxis more flexibility in how they set fares. Renewal fees for cabbies also decreased and the credit card charge to taxi customers ended.