Council votes in favour of motion to look at regulating Uber

TORONTO:Following a day of fierce debate at city hall, city council has voted to examine regulating ridesharing service Uber.
In a vote held shortly before 8 p.m., councillors voted 32-12 in favour of Mayor John Tory’s motion asking staff to come back with a new ‘regulatory framework.’
“Today we move forward to regulate Uber & technologies like it. It’s what people want & it will provide fairness our drivers deserve,” Tory said in a tweet following the vote.”City staff will now develop regulations to level the playing field & ensure all drivers operate safely, fairly & within the rules. Toronto will have a fair and modern taxi industry. And council will focus on the important work ahead.”
A staff report – covering all ground transportation, including Uber – is expected out in the spring outlining the proposed regulations.
In a 24-20 vote, council also voted in favour of a motion presented by Coun. Jim Karygiannis asking that Uber cease operations until the report is presented.
Councillors also voted to lower the ‘drop fee’ – the starting price for a taxi trip in the city – from $4.25 to $3.25, effective Nov. 1.
In a released issued following the vote, Beck Taxi said the decision shows that Uber ‘is currently operating illegally in the city.’
“Today was important for the taxi industry as it clarified that UberX can’t continue to exist above the law,” Beck spokesperson Kristine Hubbard said.
“Councillor after councillor stood up and committed to the need for a level playing field, which has been the cornerstone for what we have sought as a taxi brokerage.”
Beck said it wants city regulations ‘vigorously enforced.’
“Should Uber fail to comply with council’s wishes, we would expect strict enforcement out of respect for both law-abiding operators in the taxi industry and out of concern for Toronto’s traveling public,” Hubbard said.
“We encourage the Toronto Police Service and licensing bylaw officers to begin aggressive enforcement of the city’s bylaws, which will now capture UberX,” Sam Moini, spokesperson for the Toronto Taxi Alliance, echoed in a released issued by the organization Wednesday night.
Moini called Tory’s decision to request further study on ways to incorporate Uber into ground transportation regulations ‘unfortunate.’
“We are concerned that further delay means that consumer protection and public safety will be compromised,” he said.