Ottawa residents ready for change in taxi industry, survey finds

Ottawacitizen.com
Aug. 21, 2015
By Meghan Hurley

The majority of Ottawa residents want to see changes to the city’s taxi industry rules since the emergence of Uber, but most still have an overwhelming confidence in the safety of cabs, a new poll has found.

Entitled “Uber versus Taxi” and prepared for Postmedia Network, the Mainstreet Research survey examined Canadians’ views of Uber across the country at a time when cab companies are losing business due to emerging technologies.

“I think there’s a bit of that fear factor when it comes to Uber - the thought that you are being picked up by a stranger in a car, doesn’t have a (taxi) licence, doesn’t have insurance,” said Quito Maggi, the president and chief executive officer of Mainstreet.

A survey of 1,371 Ottawa residents on Aug. 12 and 13 - right in the middle of a disruptive labour action over increased fees for airport drivers - found that 88 per cent of Ottawa residents consider the city’s taxis very safe or somewhat safe. Ottawa had the highest level of confidence in taxi safety in the survey, which also took in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and London, Ont.

Maggi said the confidence likely comes from Ottawa residents’ familiarity with the taxi industry, as well as the cameras in cabs and the regulations drivers must follow to operate.

Even though critics of Uber have said the ride-hailing company doesn’t have the same standards as taxis, about half of Ottawa residents said the service’s vehicles are either somewhat or very safe. Only five per cent said they thought Uber vehicles were very unsafe, while 20 per cent didn’t know.

A majority of residents between the ages of 18 and 49 said Uber vehicles were safe, which could be attributed to that age group’s more frequent use of the service, Maggi said.

But despite having a lower level of confidence in the safety of Uber over traditional cabs, Ottawa residents still favour changes to the municipal taxi regulations that would allow Uber to operate in the capital.

Half the respondents said that the city should get rid of taxi licences, which have been purchased on the street for hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases: 34 per cent said the licences should be abolished with compensation from the city; 16 per cent said they should be abolished without compensation. Most people - 36 per cent - weren’t sure what to do about the licensing issue.

Only 13 per cent of Ottawa residents polled wanted to keep the taxi industry the way it is.

Two-thirds of those surveyed indicated they’d like to see both taxi and Uber services continue in some way: 34 per cent of respondents want a “fair compromise” for both parties, while 33 per cent felt that the taxi industry needs to “compete” with new technology.

The poll showed that 20 per cent of people believed Uber has to operate by the rules as they are, and should be punished for breaking city bylaws.

When asked whether Uber drivers should be banned from operating without municipal taxi licences, 40 per cent of respondents said yes, while 36 per cent believed that Uber drivers should be able to continue to provide service.

More than half believe Uber should be held to the same standards as taxi drivers.

In a city divided on Uber, Ottawans seem to be the best among the surveyed cities with keeping up with developments on the issue. More than 70 per cent have closely followed the Uber debate, while only two per cent were not aware of the issues.

The poll has a margin of error of 2.65 per cent, according to Mainstreet Research.

Here’s how Ottawa residents feel about the traditional taxi services, the emergence of Uber and potential changes to the way the city regulates the taxi industry.
Uber versus taxis

88: Percentage of people who say taxis are very safe or somewhat safe
50: Percentage of people who say Uber is very safe or somewhat safe
67: Percentage of people who want to see taxi and Uber services continue either through a “fair compromise” or competition
13: Percentage of people who believe the city should maintain the current system
36: Percentage of people who believe Uber drivers should be allowed to operate without a taxi licence
40: Percentage of people who believe Uber drivers should be banned from operating without a taxi licence
50: Percentage of people who believe taxi licences should be abolished with or without compensation
58: Percentage of people who believe Uber should be held to the same standards as taxis through ride-sharing regulations

Source: Mainstreet Research survey of 1,371 Ottawa residents conducted on Aug. 12 and 13, conducted for Postmedia. The survey has a margin of error of 2.65 per cent.