No policy against Ottawa fed public servants getting reimbursed for Uber

Torontosun.com
Oct. 25, 2015
By Jon Willing

Nothing, except law enforcement, is stopping Uber from accessing the lucrative public service market for trips in the Ottawa region.

The federal government has no rules against public servants expensing rides with Uber, currently considered a bandit taxi service by Ottawa City Hall.

In fact, if used by public servants at the right times, an Uber ride could save taxpayers money because the rates are often lower than lawful taxis.

A spokeswoman for the Treasury Board Secretariat said there is no specific policy on staffers using the controversial ride-sharing service for work purposes.

The Treasury Board says it's aware some employees have used Uber for work purposes and have been reimbursed, although Uber use is not tracked across departments.

The travel directive established by the National Joint Council - which brings the government and employee groups together to set workplace policies - simply calls for discretion based on cost, duration of the ride, convenience, safety and practicality when choosing transportation covered by taxpayers.

By comparison, the City of Ottawa will only reimburse its own employees for rides in licensed taxis while on city business.

The public service is a lucrative market for all transportation providers in Ottawa, including conventional taxis, Uber and OC Transpo.

Uber doesn't pay licensing fees to the city, often making the service cheaper than taxis, except when Uber implements surge pricing during high demand periods.

Accepting money to drive passengers without having taxi permits is illegal in Ottawa.

But there's a huge customer demand for alternative ride services.

The private sector has taken notice of Uber.

Ian Faris, president and CEO of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, said "There's lots of chatter about businesses using it" and it was a topic that came up last weekend at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce annual convention.

The Ottawa chamber doesn't have an official position on Uber, but it does oppose bandit cabs.

Coventry Connections, the city's largest taxi company, is a member of the chamber.

It seems more businesses want to experiment with Uber service.

"It's really on the cost side that they're saying they want to use Uber," Faris said.

In fact, the chamber has included a few questions about Uber in its business growth survey for members. Those results will be compiled soon, Faris said.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called on governments to embrace the so-called sharing economy, which includes ride-sharing services like Uber.

A new discussion paper produced by the Mowat Centre and released by the City of Ottawa last week points out more businesses are choosing Uber over taxis for ground transportation.

The report, part of a series in the city's ongoing taxi bylaw review, cites a recent survey on business expenses by software company Certify, which found U.S. businesses suddenly started using Uber more than taxis last April.

Uber claims its business service, which allows fares to be charged directly to companies, saves firms up to $1,000 per employee annually.

KPMG is leading the city's bylaw review with support from the Mowat Centre and Hara Associates.

The review, which could end with the city making recommendations on regulating ride-sharing, is scheduled to be done at the end of 2015.