Uber takes the road to mixed reviews

OurWindsor.ca
Sean Previl
Nov. 20, 2015

It has been a week since Uber drove into town and the service has had mixed reviews. 

The ride-sharing service began operating in Windsor Nov. 12 a week after a public consultation for interested drivers.

People took to the roads in their own vehicles, helping transport residents around town and all it took was for those riders to press a few buttons on their phone.

Once you download the app on the Apple Store, Google Play or the Microsoft Store you’re able to order a car, see where the driver is and get an estimate cost for your trip.

Mayor Drew Dilkens said the speed of being able to order a car speaks to the speed at which Uber has been operating across the world.

“Uber’s working at the speed of technology and they’re lightning fast the way they’re working,” said Dilkens.

“It was just a matter of time before they started here, no one would’ve predicted it would happen in three, three-and-a-half weeks, but that’s the scenario that has happened and played out.”

The basis of Uber however, is not unlike taking a regular taxi ride. You get a ride in the city and it is the driver’s responsibility to get you there safely.

New Uber driver Brian Price owns an insurance business in Windsor, but said he got involved with the ride-sharing app as something interesting to do. He said it’s similar to where he works because it’s about providing a service.

“At the end of the day you want to be able to keep attention to what’s going on in the car and outside of the car and be as courteous as humanly possible,” said Price.

It hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride however for Uber with taxi drivers concerned over losing business as Uber is not operating in compliance with the city’s current bylaw.

Unifor Local 195 first vice president John Toth said the union, which represents taxi drivers, wants to see a level playing field.

“It’s not a level playing field right now, they’re being allowed to operate or they thought they were going to be able to come in here and allowed to operate without complying with the rules but the city’s made it clear that up until the time that those rules are reviewed and revised the expectation is that they will have to comply,” said Toth.

The Public Vehicles Licensing By-law sets out rules in terms of licensing, insurance and vehicle standards. Uber drivers currently do not have to pay the same fees or get the same vehicles required by taxi drivers in the city.

A report brought forward to council asked for an independent consultant to be hired at the cost of about $30,000 to look into the current bylaw and determine if a new one is needed to regulate Uber.

Council voted in favour 7-4 of hiring the consultant. The budget for the position is not included in the 2015 operating budget however, so funds would be taken from surplus or savings in the city’s bylaw enforcement office.