Is Manitoba about to get Uber?

WinnipegFreePress.com
March 17, 2017
Nick Martin

Premier Brian Pallister's staff wouldn't say Thursday afternoon what's in a bill on Monday's order paper — Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke will table The Local Vehicles for Hire Act shortly after 1:30 p.m.

In a prepared statement, Clarke said Thursday afternoon that, "The province just completed the most extensive consultations on the state of the vehicle-for-hire industry in decades, where we heard from owners, drivers, industry stakeholders and the public at large.

"That feedback was compiled in a major report prepared by MNP for the Taxicab Board in December, which outlines the need to modernize regulations to ensure that the industry is providing appropriate service and choice for consumers. Our government has reviewed the report and its 40 recommendations and will introduce legislation to move our plan forward," Clarke said.

Unicity Taxi cab driver and president Gurmail Mangat was devastated when told about the impending bill during his rush hour duties.

"What will happen to us? We have mortgages, we have loans," said Mangat, who said many cabbies are immigrants who sold their properties overseas to buy their cabs and licences. "What will happen to our investments? What will happen to our jobs?"

Mangat said taxi drivers have tried unsuccessfully to get their message across to the Pallister government.

"Nothing happened — we are like aliens to her," Mangat said. "We're talking to the walls, a complete shutdown by them."

The NDP certainly suspects the Tories are moving on ride-booking, if not specifically on Uber.

New Democrat Andrew Swan said in an interview Thursday afternoon that the government is tabling eight bills Monday afternoon, placing so much important business on the order paper that some items may get less attention than they deserve.

"One of them appears to be directed at ride-sharing services," Swan said.

Swan said it appears to be another example of "their ride to the bottom," taking jobs away from hard-working Manitobans such as taxi drivers.

Mayor Brian Bowman pledged in his state of the city address earlier this month to work to bring the ride-booking service to the city. His office had pointed out that "an independent consultant's report last December recommended allowing ride-sharing services in the city."

Bowman declined to be interviewed Thursday.

However, his office issued a statement that, "The mayor will wait to see what is tabled by the provincial government.

"However, during the mayor’s State of the City Address, he made it clear that he thinks it is time to find a way to introduce ride-sharing services, such as Uber, to Winnipeg. As the mayor has said previously, he wants to see a direction that works best for the citizens of Winnipeg and the local taxicab industry.

"Since nothing has been tabled yet, we need to wait until we hear the direction from province," said an aide to Bowman.