Taxis and ridesharing in Ottawa

[J.OT13]

Not surprising. We had this highly regulated taxi industry, and then blew it up with Uber, running with totally different and far less restrictive rules.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Not surprising. We had this highly regulated taxi industry, and then blew it up with Uber, running with totally different and far less restrictive rules.

Interesting precedent where regulatory actions creating monopolies and create huge value in the sale of licenses. Is the city that did not benefit from this restriction now responsible to compensate the taxi drivers? This looks like a very expensive damage award if the argument is we need to make taxi drivers whole.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Interesting precedent where regulatory actions creating monopolies and create huge value in the sale of licenses. Is the city that did not benefit from this restriction now responsible to compensate the taxi drivers? This looks like a very expensive damage award if the argument is we need to make taxi drivers whole.

The old taxi regulations were bad, but letting Uber go nuts was also bad. I assume the old taxi regulations were largely based on the flawed practices of most other North American jurisdictions.

Best case would have been the City maintaining ownership of the taxi plates and "lease" them out, but that ship sailed decades ago.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The old taxi regulations were bad, but letting Uber go nuts was also bad. I assume the old taxi regulations were largely based on the flawed practices of most other North American jurisdictions.

Best case would have been the City maintaining ownership of the taxi plates and "lease" them out, but that ship sailed decades ago.

The best case would have been the city realizing is over regulation of a market created a de-facto monopoly, and fixed it by removing there restrictions when Uber first came to them.

The #of taxi licenses should never have been limited, and the regs should have been restricted to public safety.

As for taxi drivers they played a game with an illegal grey-market and lost, the city should not be on a hook for that.

[JCL]

The written decision by the Judge has been uploaded for public viewing: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2024/2024onsc2725/2024onsc2725.html

[rocketphish]

Will anybody notice?

Blue Line Taxi drivers set to strike Friday afternoon
Union and the taxi company at an impasse over increases to the monthly fee the company charges drivers

Nathan Fung, Jayden Dill · CBC News
Posted: Sep 19, 2025 1:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Ottawa's Blue Line Taxi drivers are set to strike Friday afternoon after their union and the taxi company reached an impasse over increases to the monthly fee the company charges drivers.

Almost 94 per cent of taxi drivers voted to walk of the job and will be on the picket line as of 2:30 p.m., the union Unifor said in a news release.

The strike affects 494 full-time drivers at Blue Line, with potential impacts across other Ottawa taxi services.

Unifor said Blue Line walked away from the bargaining table following a counterproposal presented to the taxi company's final offer. It also said Blue Line's demand of a 20 per cent increase in taxi stand fees is "unacceptable and unfair" when taxi drivers are already struggling to get by.

"A massive stand fee hike is a direct pay cut for drivers," said Local 1688 President Bahdon Issa. "Our members have shown overwhelming support for fair bargaining, and we will not accept an employer that refuses to meet us at the table and tries to impose its own terms."

Marc André Way, chief operating officer of dispatcher Coventry Connections, said the previous agreement with Unifor ended in January and that negotiations were at a standstill after eight months.

Way said Blue Line got the strike notice at 6 p.m. Thursday — less than 24 hours before the strike is supposed to happen.

He said Coventry is not locking out drivers and that it will be "business as usual" as it will continuing to provide dispatch services.

Documents sent to drivers from Blue Line said stand rent for 2025 is $435 per month, and that the company is increasing it to $550 per month now, $600 in 2026, and $650 by 2027.

The document also said the proposed stand rent increase is "fair, modest, and essential" as it has not kept up with inflation for over a decade.

"That represents an increase of about $3.50 a day," Way told CBC. "I gather that they are going to go on strike for $3.50 a day."

Way said this only affects Blue Line, and not other fleets like Capital Taxi, Westway Taxi, and taxis with contracts with ParaTranspo.

Way added he doesn't anticipate that all 494 Blue Line drivers will be on the picket line.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/bl...set-to-strike-friday-afternoon-1.7638021

[kwoldtimer]

As awful as Blue Line can be, I refuse to support Uber slavery. Fortunately, I only take a cab two or three times a year.

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

As awful as Blue Line can be, I refuse to support Uber slavery. Fortunately, I only take a cab two or three times a year.

Oh come off it, Uber is shit but it's not slavery.

Also, most taxi drivers in this city deserve having there license revoked for gross negligence, between the driving while texting, running red lights, & etc, I'm happy to arrive alive anytime I'm forced to take one

[phil235]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

As awful as Blue Line can be, I refuse to support Uber slavery. Fortunately, I only take a cab two or three times a year.

I've used them a fair bit lately. Their app is quite good and at peak periods they are quicker and cheaper than Uber in my experience. Also I don't have to watch a series of drivers pick me up and then drop me because my trip is relatively short.

I did have one really bad driver in that stretch, but I don't find them any worse than Uber, particularly in the way they block traffic, sidewalks etc to wait for people. there is literally no screening of Uber drivers (nor can you rely on the user ratings, as there is every incentive not to give bad ratings).