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Waterloo bylaw would regulate Uber and others

Proposed rules would force Uber drivers to get a regional “auxiliary taxi” licence, have commercial insurance, a GPS and a closed-circuit monitoring system.

Thestar.com
Aug. 16, 2015
By Tara Deschamps

Waterloo is considering cracking down on Uber with a proposed bylaw that could make it the first municipality in Ontario to regulate the company.

New bylaws under consideration by council would put it well ahead of Toronto, which failed with more heavy-handed tactics - seeking a court injunction to shut it down - earlier this year.

The bylaws could force ride-sharing service drivers to apply for a region-issued taxi licence.

Before they hit the road, those drivers would also have to prove they have commercial auto insurance covering up to $2 million in damages, a closed-circuit monitoring system that records the driver and passengers, and a GPS.

“We just feel the basic underlying principle is that if you are going to provide a service within our community and you are going to get a fee for it, you should be regulated,” said Waterloo’s director of council and administrative services, Kris Fletcher.

Uber has long skirted regulation while operating several classes of service, including Uber X, which involves average folk driving customers in their personal vehicles.

Mexico City and Illinois have successfully reined in the company with restrictions, but earlier this summer, a judge quashed the City of Toronto’s request for an injunction to shut Uber down.

Waterloo’s proposed measures will renew the debate over regulating the company’s services, by labeling those operating vehicles for ride-sharing companies and limousines as “auxiliary taxi” drivers.

Though considered separate from traditional cab operators, auxiliary taxi drivers in Waterloo would still be subject to annual licence renewals, sensitivity training, regular vehicle and system inspections, and limits on how long a driver may drive per day without a rest period.

In a statement provided to the Star, Uber Canada spokesperson Susie Heath said the company is “encouraged by the direction that the draft bylaw is headed.”

“The Region of Waterloo can be a leader in Canada by developing smart regulations for ridesharing and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with them throughout the consultation process,” she said.

Fletcher noted Waterloo’s decision to take a look at taxi regulations comes after the city experienced sexual assaults, six of which resulted in charges being laid in relation to incidents in cabs between 2012 and 2014.

Ongoing allegations and questions about passenger and driver safety were triggering talk of cameras in cabs.

Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft services were proliferating, and entrepreneurs looking to set up companies targeting female passengers and those with accessibility needs were seeking clarification on bylaws.

Because there were no guidelines for these kinds of businesses and because Waterloo’s taxi bylaws have been “pretty standard,” Fletcher said, “we thought we needed to look at those particular issues.”

Part of that look, she said, will involve meetings with stakeholders and soliciting feedback from residents by Oct. 2.

By Jan. 1, 2016, Fletcher said the city hopes to have a bylaw in place.

Waterloo bylaw’s provisions

Regular Taxis:

Auxiliary Taxis, including Uber X and limos: