City Staff Speeding up Timeline for Uber Report

Inews880.com
Feb. 4, 2016

London’s by-law manager suggests a decision from the province’s insurance regulator is helping city staff speed up the timeline for presenting a report on Uber.

Staffers have been looking into how the city should respond to the ride-hailing app, and what kind of regulations should be put in place. They’ve been considering a by-law which would recognize Uber as a “transportation network company.”

The Financial Services Commission of Ontario has given the green light for Aviva Canada to offer coverage for drivers that carry paying passengers in their own vehicles.

The coverage is an addition to its personal auto policy and will be available to drivers licensed for at least six years, who spend up to 20 hours a week participating in ride hailing, and for a maximum of eight occupants.

The policy will cover drivers from when they initiate looking for passengers through to collecting and dropping off those passengers.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, this is the first coverage of its kind in the country.

Bylaw Manager Orest Katolyk told AM980 they’re also analyzing Edmonton’s recently announced Uber regulations.

“Our focus has always been on consumer protection, and in Edmonton they have a minimum fare but they will allow for surge pricing,” he said. “Our position to Council has been somewhat the opposite, we have concerns about surge pricing.”

Katolyk expects their report on how to regulate Uber will be presented in March or April.

“We will be reporting back on a number of items include how we would do criminal background screening, driver record screening, motor vehicle inspections, and electronic record keeping,” he said.

Uber praised the decision by Edmonton’s council last month to legalize it, saying it is the first Canadian jurisdiction to adopt regulations that “embrace” ride-sharing.

London’s heavily regulated taxi industry see mobile ride-sharing apps as an unfair intruder that threatens their livelihood, as well as the safety of passengers.