Winnipeg cabbies launch safety campaign, as mayor sets Uber bylaw deadline
Taxi drivers want ride-hailing companies like Uber to require vehicles be equipped with panic buttons and safety shields.

MetroNews.ca
Nov. 1, 2017
Braeden Jones

Safety shields, in-car cameras and panic buttons.

No Uber car in Canada comes equipped with these safety features, but a Winnipeg taxi group says the city's future ride-hailing drivers should be subjected to the exact same safety standards as cab companies.

On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Community Taxi Coalition launched the “Pritam Deol’s Law Campaign,” named after the taxi driver who was killed in Winnipeg in 2001. The goal of the campaign, according to spokesperson Scott McFadyen, is to ensure his legacy endures.

“It’s basically bringing attention to some of the safety measures that were brought in after that (in 2002),” he said. “Safety protocols they brought in resulted in 79 per cent reduction in violent crime (in cabs), and a 100 per cent reduction of murder.”

The coalition wants any vehicle-for-hire company entering the market to have the same safety rules, including mandatory criminal record checks, child abuse registry checks, and twice annual vehicle inspections.

But they also want “safety shields, in-car cameras, and the panic buttons” that all Winnipeg taxis have, McFadyen said.

“These are things that have developed over decades and are there for very real reasons,” he added.

Uber public policy manager Chris Schafer, who has met with officials in Winnipeg, said Uber’s software safety features have made it so “no bylaw in any city in Canada requires ridesharing vehicles—be it Uber or another ridesharing company— to have any of those requirements.”

Uber introduces drivers and passengers beforehand, and allows GPS routing of trips to be shared with a friend or loved one in real-time, along with details like the vehicle’s make, model, plate number, and the name of the driver.

The platform is also cash-free, holds both drivers and passengers accountable with five-star rating systems post-ride. Uber responds directly to feedback and complaints.

“For all those reasons (regulators) have uniformly come to the same conclusion… it’s a very different business model from a taxi,” Schafer said. 

Mayor Brian Bowman, who wants ride-sharing in the city, said he’s “very receptive to input from the taxicab industry and others on matters pertaining to safety,” but also recognizes “there are realities with different models” within the vehicle-for-hire industry.

Bowman said he expects administration to prepare a report by the end of the year so the city can receive feedback and have regulations in place by March 1.