400 UberX vehicles seized so far this year in Montreal

'We're going to continue to contest this,' an official with Uber Quebec says

CBC.ca
Nov. 8, 2015

More than 400 vehicles have been seized in Montreal since the beginning of the year as part of the city's ongoing fight against UberX.

Montreal's taxi bureau has been ramping up its efforts to crack down on the popular ride-sharing service, which allows drivers without taxi licences to offer rides in the city. UberX has been available in Montreal for the past year.

About 100 UberX cars were seized in the past month alone, Radio-Canada reported.

The ticketing and towing of Uber vehicles can cost drivers hundreds of dollars, but Uber has been covering the costs.

Company officials say they intend to fight every vehicle seizure in court.

"We're going to continue to contest this," said Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, director of Quebec's Uber office.

"We're going to continue to be here for the thousands of Montrealers who use our service on a regular basis."

Faced with stiff competition, Montreal has recently taken steps to upgrade the city's taxi service by introducing a stricter dress code and making credit and debit options mandatory for drivers.

Unfair advantage?

Mayor Denis Coderre and the Quebec government have called the UberX service illegal.

Taxi drivers in the city have held protests against UberX, arguing it has an unfair advantage and is compromising their ability to make a living.

The company has asked the province to make clear rules about car sharing.

Uber says its UberX service costs users between 20 and 30 per cent less than a standard cab fare.

The company takes 20 per cent of the fare, leaving the rest to the driver.

Users' credit cards are automatically charged through the app - tip included - meaning no cash exchanges hands.