Toronto council votes to create new rules to govern both Uber and taxis
Toronto council unanimously voted to review taxi regulations Wednesday in order to bring both cab companies and Uber under the same legal umbrella.

thestar.com
July 8, 2015
By Jennifer Pagliaro

The taxi industry says it is willing to compromise - including taking a financial hit - if it means Uber drivers will be forced to follow the same city rules.

The massive challenge of bringing both new technologies like Uber and traditional taxi services under one legal umbrella is now up to city staff after council unanimously voted Wednesday night to launch a review of the city’s bylaws.

Mayor John Tory said after the vote he knows it will be difficult to craft a bylaw that will appease both sides.

“Truth to tell, I’m not aware of a city that has successfully done this, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try,” he said. “At least now people are at the table and at least we have the council’s authority to go ahead and try and develop that law.

Earlier this week, Tory called for a single law that would regulate all ground transportation - both cabs and companies like Uber who have been disrupting traditional business around the world with a mobile app that makes hailing a licensed taxi or a unlicensed driver easier and in some cases cheaper.

The push for equal enforcement of both services stems from an Ontario Superior Court judge’s ruling that shut down the city’s earlier attempt to kick Uber out of Toronto. Similar battles have embroiled local councils across North America and elsewhere with varying outcomes. Other jurisdictions are now looking to see how Toronto resolves its differences.

City staff are expected to report back on proposed bylaw changes in September.

On Monday, the taxi industry and Uber representatives agreed - after being gathered in Tory’s office - that they were willing to come to a compromise.

Taxi industry spokespersons called the vote Wednesday night a success.

“We expect one law for everybody,” said Toronto Taxi Alliance spokesperson and fleet operator Sam Moini. “We as a taxi industry are willing to negotiate anything to benefit the public, if it takes us to reduce our costs to the public - we will do that. If they want any other kind of regulation change within our industry, we are willing to do (that).”

But he said their condition is that Uber - which he argued does the same job of getting people from point A to point B - must be forced to follow those same rules.

Uber Canada spokesperson Susie Heath thanked council for “committing to study ridesharing.”

“We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Mayor Tory and city council on a permanent regulatory solution in the City of Toronto,” she said in an email.

In the interim, the taxi industry says they expect enforcement to pick up immediately. At the last minute Wednesday, council members also requested police enforce provincial rules and bylaw enforcement target unlicensed drivers.

“We expect enforcement to occur and we expect it to happen now,” Moini said, adding they had requested Uber immediately shut down the UberX service without success.

Police spokesperson Mark Pugash said the request from council is a matter for the police board to consider. The police board, however, does not have the power to direct police operations.

Police have laid provincial offences against UberX drivers. Half of those charges were recently dropped; other offences relating to picking up passengers without a commercial licence are still before the courts.

City staff say they are continuing enforcement of drivers working without taxi licenses, including those working for UberX. The city’s municipal licensing office was not able to immediately provide how many bylaw infractions have been laid against UberX drivers to-date.

Council also voted Wednesday night to advise the public of the possible risks of taking a ride from unlicensed drivers. It’s not clear what form that campaign might take or how Uber might respond. Uber Canada did not respond to specific questions about that decision Wednesday night.