Uber and Taxi Alliance square off at Tuesday meeting
Posted Apr 6, 2016 05:28:34 AM.
Last Updated Apr 6, 2016 12:03:19 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The mitts were off between ride hailing apps such as Uber Canada and the Waterloo Region Taxi Alliance Tuesday night at Regional Headquarters.
Uber Canada representative Adam Blinick was the first to speak at the public input session and says Uber will only take fares through it’s app and not off the street.
“Taxi stands are out of bounds for Uber drivers. They can not pickup fares that are hailed from the street. Any driver who does that will be terminated.”
Regional Council then shot back with questions regarding Uber’s accessibility options for people who require a wheelchair.
Blinick could not provide an answer, however, he says that Uber Canada is willing to work with companies that offer that type of service in the future.
“We are interested in partnering with a company that is wheelchair accessible to provide that service for Uber Canada.”
Another big issue for Regional Council is safety of passengers and drivers. In the chamber, questions were raised about how Uber Canada monitors drivers who may suffer from fatigue.
Blinick reminded Council that Uber Canada’s drivers work when they are on the platform and decide their own schedules.
Regional Council determined that Uber Canada has no way of monitoring any driver’s fatigue.
One of the questions for Regional Council to consider is putting CCTV equipment in every taxi including drivers who work for Uber Canada in order to protect the drivers and passengers in the taxi industry.
Peter Neufeld from Waterloo Taxi says that is an important question to consider in a new bylaw.
“Waterloo Taxi invested 100-thousand dollars on CCTV to provide safety for consumers and driver protection.”
Regional council will assess all the feedback from the public and prepare a report for the licensing and hearings committee.
Kris Fletcher is the Director of Councillor and Administrative Services at the Region of Waterloo and tells 570 News the new bylaw will be based off three key components.
“We need to look at what is passenger safety, what is consumer protection and what is accessibility.
Fletcher adds the Waterloo Region Taxi Alliance admitted that it under utilized it’s Mobility Plus vehicles, which are used to transport passengers who are in wheelchairs and have disabilities.
Another Regional Council meeting will be held April 20th. Council hopes to review the full bylaw by June 8th.
