Future of Uber in Toronto in council's hands this week

Torontosun.com
May 1, 2016
By Shawn Jeffords

Toronto councillors will be forced to decide on the future of ride-sharing this week as the long-standing battle between Uber and the taxi industry lands on city council’s plate.

Council has been under pressure for years to provide a “level playing field” so taxis can compete with Uber. A staff report last month set out a way to regulate the company. However, before sending the issue to council, members of the licensing and standards committee gutted the proposals, pulling out rules that pertained to the ride-sharing firm.

Council faces a difficult decision. It can pass those amended rules, make further changes or restore the original staff report.
Here’s what city officials had initially proposed:

• Taxi drivers would pay a $290 licensing fee, a 17% cost reduction.
• Uber would be subjected to a one-time $20,000 fee, plus a $10 per driver annual licensing fee and a 20-cent fee per trip.
• Taxi drivers would still have to report criminal background checks directly to the city while Uber could hold their drivers’ records, which then would be audited by the city.
• A required command of the English language as a condition of licensing would be deleted from regulation.
• Snow tires on taxis would become optional.
• The 17-day taxi driver training requirement would be cut.
• All vehicle classes - taxis, limousines and private transportation companies - are mandated to carry the same $2-million worth of liability insurance coverage.

City council meets for two days, starting Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall.