More than 100 cabbies and Uber drivers signed up to speak at a Community and Protective Services committee meeting Thursday morning at city hall.
They were there to discuss the city’s proposed recommendations to regulate vehicles for hire in Ottawa.
City councilors started hearing from the public delegations at 10 a.m., which were dominated by taxi drivers, and will continue with more testimonies well into the evening, says chair Diane Deans.
Chris Schafer, public policy manager for Uber Canada, was in the hot seat for nearly three hours. Although Schafer says the company is supportive of the city’s recommendation to regulate all vehicles for hire, councilors questioned Uber’s surge prices, insurance policies, and hesitancy to install cameras in vehicles.
Other councilors, such as Gloucester-South Nepean Ward’s Michael Qaqish, are worried Uber will not be compliant with the proposed bylaws, if passed.
“The way Uber has operated in other municipalities has left a bad taste in my mouth,” said Qaqish at the meeting.
Schafer did not say whether Uber is willing to suspend operations in Ottawa pending the legalization of the service.
With the chamber gallery filled to capacity, Schafer received reactions from angry cabbies as he spoke.
Taxi advocates are calling on the city to consider the industry’s request to amend nine points to the proposed taxi regulations released earlier this week.
They want the same policies for cabbies applied to Uber drivers. This includes providing background checks to the city rather than the company itself, and ensuring all vehicles for hire are covered by the same insurance policy – a $5 million liability commercial insurance.
“The playing field is not levelled for Uber and taxi drivers in Ottawa,” said Richard Szirtes, president of West Way Taxi.
Osgoode Ward Coun. George Darouze says it’s impossible for the city to implement all nine recommendations.
“All we are asking for is fairness,” says taxi union president Amrik Singh.