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Here's why:

Two Uber drivers charged over the weekend

Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 5, 2014, Last Updated: October 5, 2014 4:41 PM EDT

Two Uber drivers were charged for allegedly not having a taxicab driver’s licence on Saturday, the first day of an undercover city investigation looking at the ride-sharing app company that launched in Ottawa days ago.

Both drivers were booked by city staff using Uber’s app, said Susan Jones, Ottawa’s general manager of emergency and protective services. The two drivers face fines of $650 each for the bylaw charge, she said.

When rides are being provided for a fee, Jones said Uber should be complying with taxi rules, including having a broker’s licence, hiring licensed cab drivers and using vehicles licensed as taxis.

Uber, the app company that connects drivers with customers, was already in more than 200 other cities when it started up in Ottawa last Wednesday. Uber argues it’s a technology company, not a taxi firm, so it shouldn’t have to follow traditional taxi rules.

On Sunday afternoon, Uber spokeswoman Lauren Altmin said the company had heard of one charge against a driver. “We don’t believe Ottawa citizens should be threatened or penalized for providing a safe and reliable ride to their fellow Ottawans,” she said.

She said Uber will support drivers financially but the company needs to look into the situation before saying whether the drivers will need to go to court to fight the fines first.

“Costly sting operations that seek to protect a monopoly that has remained unchanged for decades only hurts the consumers that have been asking for expanded transportation choices,” Altmin said in a statement.

Jones said more charges are possible against the two drivers already charged, other drivers and the company.

Free promotional rides, worth up to $20 each, were going to be offered until Sunday, but that has now been extended indefinitely. Altmin said the extension was planned before the charges.

Last week, Jones said enforcement would start once rides were being paid. After seeing that Uber was already charging for rides that cost more than $20, an undercover operation started on Saturday, she said.

Jones said she couldn’t quantify the amount of city resources going toward Uber. “Enforcement of illegal taxi cabs is just a regular part of our program, so we’re just deploying resources from within the bylaw area,” she said, acknowledging two charges in one day is more than usual.

“This probably represents the first time we’ve dealt with a company that’s actually publicly advertised that they were going to offer this business,” Jones said.

The names of the drivers won’t be released until the charges are filed in court, she said.

Mayor Jim Watson has agreed with the enforcement of taxi regulations, saying that Uber is well aware it should be following them. But Uber got some support from Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird on Saturday.

“75 minutes. 5 calls. No cab. Tonight I see the need for more competition with @Uber // @Uber_Ottawa #ottcity,” Baird tweeted.

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