City back in talks with Uber, says Calgary councillor

CalgaryHerald.com
Sept. 7, 2016
Shawn Logan

Uber may be circling around for another pass at entering the Calgary market, after negotiating with city bureaucrats over the summer to find a fit for the ride-sharing giant, says a Calgary councillor.

Even as the city continues to talk with Uber, which abandoned Calgary in February after council passed a new ride-sharing bylaw the company called unworkable, the city acknowledged it has approved only 68 licences to a trio of other ride-sharing companies, an indication, said Coun. Evan Woolley, that the city’s blueprint for so-called Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) has failed.

“There have been negotiations ongoing over the past couple of months and I remain confident that we’ll reach an agreement shortly,” he said.

“We know that the current rules council passed have not worked, and Uber has said (the rules) wouldn’t work for them.”

The bylaw struck by council in a 14-1 vote seven months ago was dubbed by Mayor Naheed Nenshi as a “21st century” model that could be emulated by other cities trying to integrate new ride-sharing services into their own transportation networks.

But to date, only three companies — Edmonton-based TappCar, Allied Black and Cowboy Taxi — are operating ride-sharing services in Calgary, splitting 68 licences between them, with TappCar holding the majority.

After TappCar launched in May, Nenshi, who has had a testy relationship with Uber, said he expected an influx of new companies to fill the ride-sharing void in Calgary despite giants such as Uber and Lyft opting to look for greener pastures.

“When city council voted to modernize our bylaws governing taxis, we expected a number of new entrants to come into the Calgary market,” he told Postmedia at the time.

“It’s great to see TappCar and other new players step up to provide options for Calgarians.”

Woolley said that by now, Calgary should have 2,000 licensed ride-share drivers, but the rules approved by council create “barriers” for companies such as Uber and Lyft, leaving consumers with essentially the same limited options they had prior to the city’s TNC bylaw.

“With only 68 licences being given out, the system is obviously not working,” he said, adding that may entail reopening the bylaw approved by council and making tweaks that would make it more attractive to Uber and similar companies.

The city’s TNC bylaw requires the company use a city-approved app, that drivers hold a Class 4 driver’s licence and undergo an annual police background check, obtain provincially approved insurance coverage and undergo an annual 134-point mechanical inspection for vehicles.

Mary Ann Houston, spokeswoman for the city’s Livery Transport Services, which regulates ride-sharing services and the taxi and limousine industry, confirmed officials remain in talks with Uber and are open to finding a scenario that works for both the company and the city.

“We would be very happy to have Uber in the city because citizens want Uber,” she said, adding that while the city’s chief livery officer has the ability to make some discretionary changes to the bylaw, any significant alterations would require council approval.

“Having Uber in the City of Calgary would be a tremendous asset to citizens, but we’re standing by our commitment to public safety.”

An Uber spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, but in July told Postmedia they were focused on coming back to Calgary.

“At this time our focus remains on working with the City of Calgary and the mayor’s office to revisit ride-sharing regulations and bring our services back to the city for the benefit of riders and drivers,” Uber Canada spokesman Jean-Christophe de Le Rue said.