Police board irked by Uber

Sept. 12, 2016
StCatherinesStandard.ca
By Bill Sawchuk

After all the work that went into crafting a bylaw to deal with ride-hailing giant Uber, members of the Niagara Police Services Board were chagrined to learn the company hasn’t fulfilled its end of the bargain.

The board passed a bylaw allowing Uber to operate legally in Niagara, starting July 1.

“I want this enforced immediately,” police board chairman Bob Gale told a police services board meeting. “I’ve lost patience with them. The taxi drivers have to pay first before they start operating.”

Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said Monday the company is “working closely” with Niagara police to resolve the situation — as they are with staff in cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, both of which recently passed bylaws.

Gale said he was expecting a report from the police service Tuesday.

Uber originally moved into the Niagara market illegally in November 2015, ignoring the regulations.

In the following months, the police board held public meetings and had staff working overtime to come up with a made-in-Niagara solution to the thorny issue, which at the time enraged taxi drivers who had paid licensing fees.

In April, police charged 20 Uber drivers with offenses under a section of the provincial Highway Traffic Act that prohibits picking up passengers for compensation without a proper licence.

By the end of June, the board had crafted regulations that updated rules for taxis and ride-hailing services. The rules were generally met with approval or at least muted criticism.

The new regulations included having Uber pay a flat fee for licensing and a per trip charge. The board heard Thursday it has yet to receive any money.

“They have said the cheque is in the mail,” said Det.-Sgt. Craig Labaune, who oversees the NRP’s bylaw enforcement. “The ball is in their court.”

Uber was also supposed to supply police with a list of drivers so the NRP could make sure the company was complying with another section of the new regulations, which include background checks and vehicle safety requirements and which are identical to those applied to taxi drivers and taxi cabs.

“We went to a lot of trouble, and now they have spent the last two months basically non-compliant with the bylaw,” police board member Kenneth Gansel said.

Niagara’s police board is responsible for bylaws that regulate business operators and drivers of various vehicles-for-hire, such as cabs, tow trucks, limousines, sightseeing and shuttle vehicles.

“I assumed they would need a few days or weeks to get everything together, but it’s been two months,” said board solicitor Woody McKaig. “Craig may need to give them a drop dead date to stop operating, or we will start laying charges.”

The board’s changes to the regulations were intended to level the playing field - as much as possible - between the ride-hailing services, which are called Transportation Network Carriers, and the taxi industry.