Mississauga mayor critical of recent committee decision not to legalize Uber

Mississauga.com
April 21, 2016
By Rachael Williams

It’s not over yet, says Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie, after a city hall committee opted not to legalize Uber.

The City’s Public Vehicle Advisory Committee (PVAC) voted on Tuesday to enforce stringent regulations on the popular ride sharing program. The recommendation calls for Uber to register as a broker and follow all the rules that apply to taxi and limousine drivers, a move not supported by Crombie.

“The market is changing and our taxi industry must adapt and modernize,” she told The News.

Currently on a trade mission in Japan, Crombie wasn’t able to attend the Tuesday meeting. However, she was present during the April 8 PVAC meeting, where she stated it wasn’t realistic for the City to implement bylaw amendments to protect taxi drivers from market pressures.

In her absence, though, they’re trying to doing just that.

“We’ve spent a long time building an industry that protects people,” stressed councillor Carolyn Parrish, adding without regulations, there’s nothing that can be done to outlaw these “illegal bandits”.

“It is important to remember that this advisory committee can only make recommendations. At this point, a final decision has not yet been made - only council can do that,” stated Crombie.

A staff report provided councillors with seven options for dealing with ride sharing in the city, ranging from self-regulation to provincial intervention. The option selected by PVAC was the capture option, which essentially would mandate UberX drivers to abide by the same rules and regulations as transportation network carriers (TNC) such as other cabbies and limousine drivers.

Staff did not recommend this option, pointing to various drawbacks, including challenges with enforcement and associated costs and limits to consumer choice and business innovation.

Susie Heath, senior communications associate for Uber, said those who made the recommendations have a direct financial interest in the existing taxi and limo industries through the collection of licensing fees.

“It is clear they do not speak on behalf of the 100,000 riders and 5,000 drivers in Mississauga that rely on ride sharing each and everyday,” she told The News.

Chris Schafer, public policy manager for Uber, pitched what she sees as the perks of the service to city councillors at Wednesday’s general committee meeting: reliability, cashless transactions and public safety, in the form of an online tool that allows users to share their trip experiences.

However, as several cab drivers pointed out, there is concern about the safety of personal vehicles used for commercial purposes that aren’t inspected for such use, the lack of driver training and the efficacy of criminal record checks.

“The only thing Uber brings to the table are a computer program, a bad attitude and insatiable greed,” stressed cab driver Al Moore.

Ron Starr, chair of PVAC, said he recognizes that the city is in a transition phase and that changes are going to occur with the safety and protection of Mississauga residents at the forefront of the discussion.

However, if regulations against TNC are put in place, it provides the City with the legal basis to go forward with an injunction, which would prohibit Uber from operating in Mississauga.

Also included in PVAC’s recommendations were changes to the bylaw to facilitate licensed taxis and limo drivers to work for more than one brokerage and direction to staff to modernize the regulation of taxi and limo industries.

The issue will come before general committee on May 4, in what’s expected to be a heated debate.