Local taxi industry tells council to make sure it enforces new bylaw that includes ride sharing

Guelphtoday.com
April 24, 2018
Tony Saxon

As Guelph City Council took the final step toward a new taxi bylaw that includes ride-sharing Monday night, the city’s taxi industry issued a word of caution.

“I believe these rules ... is as good as we’re going to get,” said Jesse Mendoza, secretary/treasurer at Canadian Cab and a cab driver for 45 years. “But I believe these they’re going to need more resources to enforce them”

Council approved staff’s recommendation to move forward with the finalization of a new taxi bylaw that has separate schedules for taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber. The rules are similar.

Mendoza told council that they have to make sure they enforce the new rules.

“I guess this is as good as it gets,” Mendoza began as he spoke at the city council meeting as a delegate.

“But do not bother making rules unless you have the will and the resources to enforce them,” he said, adding that perhaps the city would need more bylaw officers to help enforce the new regulations for ride sharing.

"Or illegal vehicles will continue to operate with impunity,” he said.

Deputy CAO Colleen Clack told council that the new bylaw would and could be enforced by existing bylaw staff.

Taxis and ride-sharing will follow many of the same rules, although ride-sharing companies like Uber, unlike taxi companies, are not required t have “bricks and mortar”  locations and unlike taxi companies, ther eare no limits on how many ride-sharing drivers are allowed.

Ride-sharing companies also look after the licensing and regulation of their own drivers, whereas the city does it for taxi drivers.

But ride-sharing vehicles must be inspected, show stickers and have suitable insurance.

The main issue, Mendoza said, is safety, saying there are a lot of vulnerable people getting rides in a university town.

Canadian Cab has operated in Guelph for 72 years. Red Top Taxi for 43.

Mendoza said you can never have a truly “level playing field” because the two services are so different.

“But I guess we have to go with the flow,” Mendoza said.

“They (ride-sharing services) thumbed their noses at us for three years,” Mendoza said. “Finally we have what most people feel is a fix.”

Chris Schafer, public policy manager for Uber, applauded the city for the working group - which included Uber and the local taxi industry - that helped shape the new bylaw, saying that Guelph was the only city he knew of in the province that formed one.

Councillor Mark MacKinnon proposed an amendment that would have allowed taxi companies to set their own maximum fare, as opposed to the city setting it, essentially being able to match Uber’s surge pricing element.

MacKinnon said the city doesn’t regulate any other business in town in regards to the maximum they can charge for their services.

But his amendment was voted down 9-3.