Uber cars seized while taxi industry promises legal action to contest Uber deal

15 Uber cars were seized on same day industry groups met to fight 'illegal' deal

CBC.ca
Sept. 13, 2016
By Jonathan Montpetit and Sabrina Marandola

While representatives of Quebec's taxi industry met Tuesday to organize a common front against the provincial government's deal with ride-hailing service Uber, about a dozen Uber cars were seized by the Societe de l'assurance automobile du Quebec.

An SAAQ spokesman confirmed to CBC that 15 Uber drivers had their licences suspended today - 10 in the greater Montreal area (Laval and Brossard) and another five in Quebec City.

"The drivers who were intercepted today got a fine of $2,500 plus fees, which totals $3,750. On top of that, there was the suspension of their driver's licence for seven days and also, the immediate seizure of their vehicle for seven days," said spokesman Eric Santerre.

Santerre said that although the government struck a deal with Uber last week for a new 12-month pilot project, that plan is not yet in effect. Therefore, the SAAQ is operating under the rules of Bill 100.

Bill 100, adopted in June, requires "remunerated passenger transportation services," including UberX, to get a taxi licence or face stiff fines or licence suspensions.

Uber deal 'illegal,' taxi drivers say

After today's meeting, industry groups said they will present the government with their demands on Wednesday and seek an injunction against the deal on Thursday.

Guy Chevrette, spokesman for the Comite provincial de concertation et de developpement de l'industrie du taxi, said the group hasn't ruled out using other pressure tactics, as well.

Chevrette has being arguing in recent days that the deal with Uber, which will allow the service to operate for the next year on a pilot-project basis, is illegal.

"We will launch an information campaign to reveal the illegalities," he told reporters. He was joined by Benoit Jugand of the Regroupement des travailleurs autonomes Metallos, which represents several thousand taxi drivers in Quebec.

Jugand said Uber drivers are already violating the terms of the deal, which should be grounds for its suspension.

Both Chevrette and Jugand met Transport Minister Laurent Lessard on Monday to seek the Uber deal's suspension. Lessard turned them down.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he is willing to listen to the taxi industry's concerns, as long as the cab drivers' pressure tactics don't harm Montrealers' quality of life.

"I won't let people take our population hostage. As a matter of fact, it will go against them," Coderre said.

"It's a rule of law, they go through that. But I think we have a great opportunity to find a better way regarding their own condition, and I'm there to listen."

"There is a case, obviously, about the taxi industry, but there is an agreement [with Uber] and, at the end of the day, you will always have that option from the minister to pull out if they don't comply."

With files from CBC reporter Sarah Leavitt