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Toronto, Uber has received a brokerage licence from the City of Toronto however drivers on its UberX platform will continue to operate in apparent contravention of city bylaws for now.
Uber applied for a brokerage licence for its Uber Taxi platform in May, however it did not seek to licence its UberX platform, where drivers use their own personal vehicles to pick up fares.
That platform has come under fire from conventional taxi drivers, who say it violates both city bylaws and a section of the Highway Traffic Act prohibiting drivers from picking up passengers for compensation unless they have a licence to do so.
The Uber Taxi platform, meanwhile, has not faced the same criticism as it only allows users to order and pay for conventional cabs using the app.
“This is another step towards our participation in a comprehensive regulatory solution that includes ridesharing,” Uber Canada said in a statement released Friday. “We will continue to work with the City of Toronto towards new regulations for ridesharing, which are expected in the coming months.
The City of Toronto is currently drafting new ground transportation regulations that are aimed at eliminating the competitive advantage currently enjoyed by Uber and at leveling the playing field for conventional cabs.
In the meantime, bylaw enforcement officers are cracking down on UberX drivers. According to a report in the Toronto Sun last week, a total of 122 bylaw charges have been laid against Uber X drivers since Oct. 22. City officials also told CTV News on Wednesday that 96 charges have been filed against five different corporate Uber entities.
Speaking with CP24 on Friday, Sam Moini of the Toronto Taxi Alliance said Uber’s acquisition of a brokerage licence does little to dispel the frustration of taxi drivers who believe the company is flouting laws and threatening their livelihood.
“Nothing has changed at all. Getting a brokerage licence means you have to dispatch to licenced taxis only. We have no problem with any company coming in here and getting a brokerage licence and dispatching to licenced taxis, however Uber X is in clear violation of that,” he said. “I don’t know how they are going to have a brokerage licence and in the meantime dispatch to unlicenced unregulated vehicles. It just doesn’t add up.”
