Oshawa holds consultations on regulating ride sharing companies like Uber

Durhamregion.com
June 21, 2017
By Reka Szekely

Oshawa is looking for feedback on ride sharing companies like Uber as the city considers regulating that industry.

Consultations with the taxi industry were held on June 20 and designated driving industry members were invited to a session on June 26.

The public can have its say at sessions on June 28 either at 9 a.m. at the Legends Centre or at 6:30 p.m. the same day at the South Oshawa Community Centre.

Currently, the taxi and designated driving industries in Oshawa are regulated, but ride sharing companies aren’t. Municipal law enforcement has pursued Uber operators for contravening the city’s taxi bylaw.

City councillors have heard from cab drivers and designated driving companies on numerous occasions that they feel it’s unfair that their industries are regulated while ride sharing is not.

“If it was regulated across the province it would be simple, it would make sense,” said Oshawa Mayor John Henry. “But it isn’t and it’s forcing municipalities to deal with the issue. It’s not just designated driving services and Uber, it’s Airbnbs, there’s a new type of business world out there, the sharing economy and for us we’re trying to do the right thing.”

Henry points out that DDs and the taxi industry have to follow rules.

“For Uber it will be interesting to see the public consultation process and what comes out of that because there is an expectation that some form of regulation will come from it,” said the mayor.

Henry says he’s aware of some conflict between taxi drivers and Uber at the Oshawa GO Station so it’s important to go through the process and get some rules in place.

To offer input online, residents can visit Connect Oshawa at http://www.connectoshawa.ca/TNC and commenting will be open until Aug. 16.