City Hall looking for ways to regulate Uber

CHCH.com
April 20, 2016
By Adam Akinson

The battle between Uber and the Hamilton taxi industry was discussed at city hall today. The city is trying to come up with a way for ride hailing programs like Uber to co-exist with taxis, but some of the proposed ideas aren’t being well received by drivers on either side.

There are an estimated 513 Uber drivers in Hamilton and more than 12 000 Uber riders. Ejaz Butt is a retired cabbie and former head of the taxi drivers union, he now drives for Uber in his spare time.
“Well I think the customers like it, I like it driving because it’s all stress free and there’s a good income in it.”

Butt says a busy driver could easily take home a thousand dollars a week in fares.

“They’re not just an app company, at night they’re in Hess village, front of bars, banquet halls and stealing our business.” Says Blue Line taxi driver, Jagir Multani.

Taxi drivers are saying that Uber drivers aren’t playing fair. They don’t pay the same fees and don’t have the same regulations. City of Hamilton staff are trying to come up with a two-tiered system that will allow both Uber and the taxi industry to co-exist.

As it stands right now in the city of Hamilton, it is illegal for an Uber driver to pick you up and they’re also not insured in case of an accident.

Throughout the summer city staff will be consulting Uber, the taxi industry and the public to come up with rules and regulations for ride hailing programs in the city.