Not all Uber drivers given the green light by city
The city has given itself an screening deadline of the end of the month

NewsTalk1010.com
Sept. 16, 2016
Justine Lewkowicz

The City of Toronto has so far rejected dozens of Uber drivers in the ongoing licensing process.

Staff are about halfway through screening thousands of drivers, a month after the company received a license to operate in Toronto.

Tracey Cook, executive director of municipal licensing, tells NEWSTALK 1010 that about 6,000 UberX have been given the green light to pick up passengers.

She says there are still just as many people left to go through who have been identified as active drivers by the ride-sharing service.

The city gave itself a deadline of the end of September to complete licensing 12,000 Uber drivers. Cook still expects them to make it.

So far, 1.5 per cent or about 100 drivers referred by Uber have been rejected by the city.

Cook says it is mostly because of driving history Uber was not aware of - things like driver's license suspensions.

That does not include the drivers that Uber itself has dropped without referring to licensing because they don't meet the city's criteria.

Cook says it has been a labour intensive process, but she insists the costs for extra staff and hours are covered by the licensing fees.