Region to make changes to bylaw on taxis and ride share services
Posted Sep 8, 2025 07:08:29 AM.
Last Updated Oct 19, 2025 10:27:34 AM.
Regional councillors are looking to make ride share and taxi services in the region a bit more safe in the coming months, as some users are voicing concerns.
During a Licensing and Hearings Committee meeting this month, councillors were updated on engagement with stakeholders including taxi brokers, ride share companies and members of the community on their thoughts to changes to the bylaw.
Specifically, some of the changes would look at hours of operation, fees, the process of licensing and how to strengthen safety for users.
An online survey asking riders for their input found that 18 per cent of respondents did not feel safe using those services when it came to problems like aggressive driving, fare disputes and harassment.
Nora Emtesali, a policy and program advisor at the region, said they looked at other municipalities and how they handled enforcement.
“To strengthen accountability, the region is also exploring an administrative penalty system, similar to the City of London’s, to support the enforcement of the Taxi By-Law and improve the service quality,” said Emtesali.
She noted that the region is also looking at making it easier to file complaints. Normally, complaints are filed with the companies and feedback from the community found the process to be lacking.
The region increased the accessibility fee per ride back in July from seven cents to 10 cents, with all the money going into the Regional Accessibility Fund.
Some advocate groups have also called for more overnight accessible service, better driver training and the removal of ableist terminology.
Radenko Ivaniseic, the president of City Cabs, confirmed that all the presidents of local cab companies asked the region to review and amend at least a dozen taxi bylaws, including the following:
1. Waterloo Regional taxi companies unanimously agreed to make the maximum meter rates mandatory.
2. To have base rates/tariff card (drop rate, kilometer rate, wait time rate) mandatory for the rideshare companies.
3. Schedule C Amendment: Accumulated 5 demerits or five or more Highway Traffic Act conversions.
4. A Vulnerable Sector Check has to be a mandatory requirement instead of a regular police check.
5. A person who has a conviction (indictable offense) on their vulnerable sector check of over two dozen offences shall not be able to get a taxi license.
6. Request to change the taxi license renewals from one year to three years.
7. Request to take a picture of a taxi driver every three years instead of every year.
8. English knowledge assessment level 6 must be a requirement for the new taxi drivers and rideshare drivers.
9. Security cameras be mandatory for taxi and rideshare companies.
10. Rideshare companies shall have a decal the same size as taxi vehicles.
11. The Region must regulate the hours of operation (on duty) with drivers not being permitted to work more than 14 hours a day and requiring 8 hours off duty before working again.
12. Taxi license renewals must be done by December 31 each year instead of on driver’s birthday.
A draft of the new bylaw will be presented to the Licensing Committee in November.
