Taxis and ridesharing in Ottawa

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by NOWINYOW

The artists have thrived. The diminishing sales of music (CD's) has resulted in many brick & mortar stores closing down.

This artist begs to disagree. Live music, in terms of local musicians trying to make a living, has been dying off for a while now. And I'm not just talking about clubs and bars. The weddings, corporate events, trade shows, grand openings, conventions, all used to hire live music. But over the years they went to DJs, and now just rent a P.A. and plug an i-device into it.

And, most young people over the past generation have spent their dating years going to DJ clubs, with very few going to bars to hear local bands. Consequently, the value, or cachet, if you will, of live music, is not that important to them when they later decide to get married, or have that corporate event, etc.

Sure, live music is still happening, because artists still need to create and will do what it takes to try and make it work (which these days means a LOT of road work). But the pay gets less and less...

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Cre47

The recent acts from taxi drivers especially with the cases of taxi drivers filming Uber drivers, uttering threats to Uber drivers (like possibly the story in the Citizen today), numerous videos of Youtube showing rude attitudes from cabbies, numerous cases of bad and/or dangerous driving from cabbies (see RedRavick and specialj99`s Youtube videos for example) and the Airport Taxi protest and acts of vandalism are certainly helping the cause to support more Uber.

It would be nice if the cops would lay off uber (whose "crimes" are regulatory in nature and should be handled by bylaw if anything) and focus on cabs that are committing actual crimes (assault, intimidation, vandalism, etc).

[rocketphish]

City to release series of reports on taxi industry, sharing economy

Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 14, 2015 | Last Updated: October 14, 2015 9:18 PM EDT

It’s been the subject of lawsuits and protests and has spurred undercover police investigations and ill-conceived stings posted to YouTube. Now, controversial Uber, as well as other aspects of the sharing economy, are about to come under the microscope of City Hall.

The city is set Thursday to release the first two of six discussion papers on the taxi industry and how the sharing economy is affecting the industry.

The first report will focus on the current conditions in Ottawa’s taxi industry, while the second looks at case studies of three Canadian and three U.S. cities, said Coun. Diane Deans, chair of the Community and Protective Services committee, which regulates local taxis.

The city hired KPMG to lay out policy options in the discussion papers to “stimulate dialogue,” said Deans. In the coming weeks, KPMG will release reports on emerging issues, customer experience and taxi economics.

The reports come mere weeks in advance of a full taxi review, which KPMG will likely forward to the city in December. Originally, the review had been scheduled for release by the end of next March. However, protests by Airport Taxi drivers and videotaped attacks on Uber drivers and users had Major Jim Watson asking that the review be expedited.

“There are so many challenges with the taxi industry — how it was designed and cobbled together over the years — it really is not the most functional system to have,” Watson said in August.

Some city officials have signalled a willingness to change the rules, but any changes that allow a service like Uber — without the same regulatory requirements of Uber drivers — are sure to cause controversy.

“Any two-tier system we will not tolerate,” Amrik Singh, president of the Ottawa taxi drivers’ union, said Wednesday. “There should not be any special favours for anyone. We are taxpayers. We are 3,000 families. Anything to accommodate anyone who is not paying taxes will not be tolerated.”

And yet, the sharing economy appears very much here to stay. In the U.S., Shuddle offers carpooling for children, Lyft for Work offers carpooling for workers, while RelayRides offers cars that are sitting idle for rent. Airbnb already offers homes, apartments and rooms in Ottawa, and eCelery delivers meals produced at home by local cooks. The shared economy promises to unlock the value of all kinds of unused assets — from empty cars to empty homes.

But it’s also creating potential headaches for those who shape and administer regulations and bylaws. Cities are grappling with the question of whether to apply regulations to the new sharing-service economy or back away.

On one hand, regulations force the market to do what it might not do on its own, such as protect consumers’ health and safety. Ottawa has about 200 accessible licensed taxis, for example, while Uber is under no obligation to ensure that a minimum number of cabs is accessible.

On the other hand, cities can reap the benefits of the sharing economy. An Airbnb report on its own impact on New York City between 2012 and 2013 claimed that 400,000 Airbnb guests spent $632 million and supported 4,580 jobs. Airbnb guests stayed two days longer and spent $200 more at local businesses than hotel guests.

In February, Amsterdam declared itself to be Europe’s first “sharing city” and announced a “responsible home sharing” agreement with Airbnb. Among other provisions, homeowners will be allowed to rent their home for a maximum of two months of the year to a maximum of four people at a time. Airbnb also agreed to collect tourist taxes on behalf of its hosts.

In a report released last February, the policy think thank Mowat Centre compared government reaction to the expanding sharing economy to a “frantic game of ‘whack-a-mole’ — struggling to contain these new enterprises while even more pop up. This is unproductive.”

The Mowat Centre describes two ways of looking at handling the emerging sharing economy services: the “precautionary principle,” where governments impose laws and regulations to prevent potential harm, and the “permissionless innovation” model, which assume the sharing economy’s innovations will be beneficial, with regulatory brakes being applied only if that’s not the case.

“Using this approach policymakers can wait and see if the sharing economy comes up with answers of its own before bringing in regulations that might stifle innovation,” according to the report by the Mowat Centre, which is contributing to the KPMG discussion papers.

“Governments need to consider how many of these issues the market will sort out for itself,” it said.

Peers, a platform for sharing economy workers, has already created insurance products for Airbnb hosts and ride-sharing drivers, for example.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce recommended in August that the province take an “empty the box” approach to regulation, keeping only those regulations that are necessary and relevant today. Both the chamber and the Mowat Centre agree that the sharing economy recognizes that policing itself is crucial to its own survival. Online reputation mechanisms are a “viable alternative” to establishing consumer trust, said the chamber.

http://ottawacitizen.com/business/local-...reports-on-taxi-industry-sharing-economy

[rocketphish]

City looking for public input on taxi review

OBJ Staff
Published on October 15, 2015

The City of Ottawa is looking for public input on two discussion papers it released Thursday as part of the ongoing review of its taxi and limousine industry.

“The primary objectives of the review are to ensure public safety, accessibility and consumer protection when it comes to the city’s involvement with this particular industry,” said Coun. Diane Deans, who chairs the community and protective services committee. “Public and stakeholder input is a significant part of the review process and will help guide council’s decision-making going forward.”

The discussion papers examine case studies performed in other cities and look at Ottawa’s existing regulations. They are two of a total of six discussion papers that will focus on emerging issues, taxi economics, customer experience and accessibility issues.

The discussion papers are available on the city’s website.

This comes a day after Unifor, the union representing the city’s cabbies, failed in its attempt to get an Ottawa court to repeal some of the restrictions imposed on drivers protesting along the Airport Parkway.

Justice Robert Beaudoin upheld the ban on excessive noise from drums and other percussive or amplified devices as part of the protests that have been going on for more than two months.

Airport drivers began protesting in August after Coventry Connections renegotiated its services contract with the Ottawa International Airport Authority. The deal has resulted, the union said, in an increase of up to 400 per cent in fees the drivers have to pay to service the airport.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/2015-10-15/article-4310730/City-looking-for-public-input-on-taxi-review/1

[rocketphish]

The elephant in taxi industry's room: value of plates is evaporating

Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 16, 2015 | Last Updated: October 16, 2015 12:16 PM EDT

Fines imposed by the city’s bylaw and police officers against Uber drivers might not be enough to deter the app-based service, according to the first in a series of discussion papers that will frame Ottawa’s comprehensive taxi bylaw review in the coming weeks.

“The majority of charges are under the Taxi By-law for offenses related to unlicensed taxi drivers ($615 fine) and the operation of unlicensed taxicabs ($260),” states the report released Thursday by KPMG. “In contrast, up until recently, Quebec police have been impounding vehicles of Uber drivers.”

The report gives credence to taxi drivers’ complaints since Uber launched in Ottawa a year ago that the city has not done enough to enforce the current regulations. But the bigger issue the discussion papers point to is the real problem: the collapsing value of taxi plates.

Drivers need a city-issued plate to drive a cab. There are 1,188 plates in Ottawa. If the city sold a new plate today, it would cost the owner $584.

But no new plates, except for accessible ones, have been sold in many years, and the plates are held by a small group of owners, many of whom lease the plates to drivers. Those who own plates consider them equity that appreciates over time.

In 2001, the street price of plates in Ottawa was quoted at $100,000 to $120,000, and an average of $50,000 in the former Nepean and Gloucester. More recently, before Uber entered the market, plates sold for $200,000 to $300,000. But the street value of plates is dropping rapidly.

Amrik Singh, the president of the Ottawa taxi drivers union, says he doesn’t know of any plates that have been sold in Ottawa since Uber arrived in September 2014.

“Another side effect is on owners who lease out their medallions,” noted one of the KPMG discussion papers released Thursday by the city. “Some drivers are opting to work as Uber drivers rather than pay to lease a medallion.”

Acting city deputy manager Susan Jones says the city regulates plates, but does not recognize their street value. As a regulator, it does not anticipate new technology and how it might shift the economics of an industry. The city used to regulate video stores, for example, but had no role to play in their survival when on-demand video services appeared.

However, video stores are not regulated by the city in the way taxis are. And it’s important to note that the plates are not being sold on some sort of “black market”. The city not only allows for the transfer of plates but charges almost $4,000 for a transfer.

The problem dates back to pre-amalgamation Ottawa, where there were about 20 transfers per year. In 2000, a task force headed by former regional chairman Andy Haydon recommended that taxi plates be issued each year and be non-transferable. If a driver retired, the plate would go back to the city to be reissued to another person. The task force argued that this would inject competition into the industry and benefit consumers. The recommendation was not implemented.

Now, the city faces a conundrum: what to do about the millions of dollars in lost equity in those plates if it allows Uber into the regulated market. In the meantime, the city is fining Uber drivers with little effect on the service — and at great expense.

Jones says about $1 million collected in taxi industry licensing fees pays for enforcement. Still, the blitzes the bylaw office runs are expensive. Because Uber works with credit cards and recognizes those associated with a previous fine, enforcement officers need new cards each time they run a sting.

Changes under the Highway Traffic Act could bring stronger penalties, she said. “We need additional tools that will actually link in with an individual’s driver’s licence, as well as their insurance.”

Coun. Diane Deans, the chair of the community and protective services committee, said the discussion papers are just a start, but there’s plenty of “meat” in them for those who want to get involved in the discussion. (To make a comment or sign up for a workshop send an email to [email protected].)

Four more discussion papers will be released in the next two weeks, and policy options will be outlined in another paper in November. KPMG’s full review will be forwarded to the city by the end of the year, but it likely won’t be made public until January.

“I think we are all going to have to keep our powder dry and let the consultants do their work,” said Deans. “It’s premature to say what might come out of it.”

BY THE NUMBERS:

1,118: Number of taxi plates in Ottawa
187: Number of plates for accessible taxis
87: Number of plates held by Marc André Way and his family. Way is chief operating officer of Coventry Connections and co-owner of Capital Taxi.
64: Number of plates held by Coventry Connections, which operates and dispatches taxi fleets, including Blueline.
667: Plate owners who have a single plate
2,600: Approximate number of licensed taxi drivers in Ottawa
$3,954: Fee to city to transfer a plate to a new owner

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...trys-room-value-of-plates-is-evaporating

[rocketphish]

Uber might be creating new markets, says City of Ottawa report

Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 22, 2015 | Last Updated: October 22, 2015 6:13 PM EDT

Uber might be creating new markets, not merely cannibalizing work from licensed cab drivers, suggests a report commissioned by the City of Ottawa.

Uber and other Internet ride-hailing firms have responded to markets that were poorly served by taxis, including the suburbs and low-income people, and might be “generating a new, larger ridership pie,” says the report from the Mowat Centre, a Toronto policy think-tank.

The report, released Thursday, uses Uber’s preferred description of its service as “ride-sharing,” even though many suggest that it doesn’t meet the definition of shared travel in which a driver already heading to a destination accepts passengers for a fee.

“Despite similarities between taxis and ride-sharing, there can be marked differences in the characteristics of users and their experiences — with ride-sharing ultimately encouraging greater mobility for certain groups of users,” said the report, which cites a New York City study reported by the Economist magazine.

The number of yellow taxi rides in New York’s central business district remained about the same between 2013 and 2015, according to the Economist report. In the rest of the city, however, yellow taxis lost about a million rides to Uber. At the same time. about three million new rides were created, including about a million attributed to Uber.

While customers in Manhattan were well-served by existing cabs, the same was not true of the outer boroughs, said Sunil Johal, the lead author of the Mowat Centre report, in an interview on Thursday. About 22 per cent of Uber rides start outside of Manhattan, compared with 14 per cent of taxi rides.

“There might be an opportunity for Uber to grow the pie,” said Johal.

But Amrik Singh, the president of the Ottawa taxi drivers’ union, doubts that this could happen in Ottawa. A ride from Kanata to downtown in a taxi costs about $55, and an Uber ride, he says, would not be significantly less. (The Uber online estimator says a downtown-to-Kanata ride in a standard car costs between $30 and $39. A ride in an SUV or van is $54 and $71. “Surge pricing” at times of high demand can add significantly to the fare, however.)

Singh believes customers in the suburbs would have too many concerns about issues like safety and insurance. “Nobody is going to take Uber because of a dollar or two.”

Susie Heath, a spokeswoman for Uber, said these services create “more choice and more reliable and affordable alternatives to driving a personal vehicle.” Uber believes both consumers and communities as whole will benefit.

Johal’s report does not make recommendations to the City of Ottawa. However, policy-makers will have to take this information into consideration when they are considering new regulations, he said.

The problem is that there is little data from other cities, and the New York situation doesn’t necessarily translate in Ottawa. However, it does suggest that location should play a role in regulation.

“There may not be a one-size-fits-all solution. You might have to take a more nuanced approach,” said Johal.

His report also points out that information collected by Uber can be valuable to cities. This year, Boston entered into a data-sharing agreement with Uber, with trip data used to ensure the company is serving all neighbourhoods adequately and to improve Boston’s own transit routes in under-served neighbourhoods.

A comprehensive review of the Ottawa industry to be completed by the end of this year. To view all the reports released so far, visit ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-consultations.

[email protected]


By the numbers

$60M: Uber’s valuation in 2011, in U.S. dollars
$51B: Uber’s valuation in 2015
300: Number of cities Uber operates in
1M: Trips are taken daily in Uber cars
10X: Increase in Uber use in New York City between 2013 and 2015
84: Per cent of Ottawa residents who support or somewhat support changing Ottawa bylaws to allow Uber to operate, according to a Nano survey commissioned by Uber
2,600: Estimated number of taxi drivers in Ottawa
1,000: Estimated number of Uber drivers
$6: How much more an hour, on average, an Uber driver earns compared to a taxi driver, according to a study conducted by Uber and Alan Krueger of Princeton University

Source: Emerging issues in the taxi and limousine industry, the Mowat Centre


http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...g-new-markets-says-city-of-ottawa-report

[rocketphish]

KPMG policy paper suggests many prefer Uber to taxi industry

OBJ Staff
Published on November 19, 2015

Many Ottawa residents feel they are better served by services such as Uber than they are by the traditional taxi industry, according to a policy option paper the city released Wednesday.

The paper is part of the city’s ongoing review of the taxi and limousine industry and was prepared by KPMG after public and stakeholder consultation.

The paper outlines three strategies the city could use in the future: implementing new concepts to the current strategy; establishing a new licensing category; and expanding the industry to allow competition and reduce costs.

The first option would “seek to implement key features of an app-based service model such as the Uber service, within the existing taxi industry,” according to the paper.

These features could include expanding existing taxi apps to include driver rating and credit card payment features, and dispatching the closest vehicle to improve wait times.

The paper said many cities across North America are considering the second option, which would see the city set up a separate licensing structure for Uber and other ride-sharing services. While the licence would have to recognize Uber’s “positive aspects,” it would require drivers to undergo a screening process and would not allow them to be flagged down by riders or use taxi stands. The licensing strategy is seen as a way to “level the playing field” with the taxi industry, the paper said.

The third strategy, to expand the industry and allow more competition, would scrap the current limits on the number of plates and “would eliminate the need to lease a plate, or to buy a plate.”

The strategy, however, would require “strong regulation” to keep quality standards high and might also eliminate the value linked to transferring taxi plates, something the paper concedes would not be popular with cab drivers.

Public safety, accessibility and consumer protection remain key issues to consider as the city decides on its strategy, the paper said.

The public will have an opportunity for further input during webinars in English on Nov. 24 and in French on Nov. 25. Both two-hour webinars will begin at 6 p.m. and registration is available on the city’s website.

The city will accept comments on the paper until Nov. 30. The final report will be completed in December and presented to the community and protective services committee.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/City-Hall/2015-1...ests-many-prefer-Uber-to-taxi-industry/1

[rocketphish]

Uber halts airport pickups

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 17, 2016 | Last Updated: March 17, 2016 6:25 PM EDT

Uber has ordered its drivers to stop picking people up at the Ottawa International Airport, weeks before city hall releases a report on taxi regulations.

The international ride-ordering company asked its drivers to stop taking requests from the airport starting at 2 a.m. Friday. However, Uber drivers can still drop people off at the airport.

A spokeswoman for Uber Canada echoed a notice sent to Uber drivers Thursday, saying the company is “making changes to the pickup experience” at the airport.

“We’re working with the airport and are confident that we will be able to resume operations soon,” Susie Heath said in an email.

There was no explanation about what led to the decision.

Airport spokeswoman Krista Kealey said Uber drivers technically haven’t been permitted to pick up people from the airport since it’s not an “authorized service.” Only cabs that are dispatched by Coventry Connections have official curbside access to fares. The airport is talking with Uber about how to go forward, Kealey said.

The timing of the decision to stop Uber pickups is being positioned as coincidental, but the airport is aware of the city’s work on the taxi regulations.

“We’re not sure what the end result is going to be, but we know something is going to be announced,” Kealey said.

Kealey said there is “a ton of taxi service” at the airport, so visitors shouldn’t have a problem getting a ride.

A long-awaited report on how the city wants to change taxi regulations is expected at the end of the month before it goes to the community and protective services committee and council.

Bylaw staff have been forced to consider how to fold alternative ride-ordering services, such as Uber, into regulatory framework. Uber has been operating on Ottawa roads since October 2014. Since then, the taxi industry has been pushing the city to clamp down on the unlicensed service, and says its own business has been severely diminished by what it calls unfair competition.

The bylaw currently calls for anyone driving passengers for a fare to have municipal taxi permits. The driver and the vehicle must both be licensed by city hall. The city has charged dozens of Uber drivers under the taxi bylaw for not having the permits. Uber has not required its drivers to buy permits.

Meanwhile, the local taxi union recently asked a Superior Court judge to ban Uber drivers from Ottawa roads as a proactive measure ahead of city hall’s decision on new regulations. The judge has not yet released a decision.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/uber-drivers-banned-from-airport-pickups

[rocketphish]

City hall shows rare courage with its plan to legalize Uber

David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 31, 2016 | Last Updated: March 31, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

Ottawa plans to open its streets up to ride-sharing companies like Uber by summer, letting the company and its drivers compete with traditional taxis as long as they meet some basic safety and insurance standards.

There could be blood on those streets first.

In brief, drivers for Uber or other ride-sharing companies that might want to set up here will have to pass a detailed criminal-record check, present their cars for safety inspections and prove they have $5 million in liability insurance, none of which they’re doing — to the city’s satisfaction — as they drive today. They’ll pay a 10.5-cent-a-ride fee to cover the city’s regulatory costs, and be restricted to picking up riders who’ve summoned them via an app.

The city will regulate Uber the way it regulates restaurants: it’ll make sure the kitchen isn’t dirty but it won’t taste the food.

Uber’s drivers will compete against taxi drivers who’ve had their regulations slashed. A mandatory cabbie-training course? Gone. Minimum requirements for vehicle sizes and trunk space? Gone, and the maximum age of a cab raised to 10 years. Licence fees? Cut in half, or to zero for drivers of wheelchair-accessible taxis. Traditional cabbies will be able to pick people up when they’re hailed on the street, or via apps or phone calls, and they’ll be the only drivers allowed to accept payment in cash.

Taxis will have a cap on their fares but be able to charge less if they want to undercut Uber. Also, taxi users will know there are security cameras in the cars and an avenue of complaint to the city if they’re unhappy about something. If you fight with Uber, you fight alone.

Just a few years ago, the city reinforced the obsolete taxi-plate system that has limited competition and distorted the market. This is a 180.

“We’re taking the handcuffs off the taxi industry,” declared Coun. Diane Deans, who chairs the council committee in charge of Ottawa’s taxi bylaw as she announced the proposed changes to the rules Thursday.

Taxi drivers listening to the presentation in city hall’s council chamber stormed out partway through, cursing. They like the handcuffs, you see, because they’re made of silver.

“Why no rules for Uber? What, are we second-class citizens here?” taxi union leader Amrik Singh demanded outside the chamber. “Are we not going to drive the same people? Do not the people of Ottawa deserve the same treatment? … We will not honour it! This is my promise.”

(Uber is reserving judgment for a few days. But the rules proposed here look a lot like the ones Edmonton has recently adopted, which Uber has said it can live with.)

The people who will really be hurt are the owners of the limited taxi plates, which will still exist but no longer be the blue-chip investments they once were. Their value probably fell by tens of thousands of dollars in a few minutes Thursday afternoon. This will be hard, very hard, on drivers who own their own plates. For a whole lot of others, who only rent them from non-driving owners, it won’t be as painful.

The thing is, Uber’s arrival in Ottawa started that decline in spite of the city’s efforts to stop it. This can be a power-dive or a controlled descent, but it’s going to happen either way because the customers are already moving.

Taxi drivers have burned whatever public goodwill they might have had with their roadblocks and violent Airport Parkway demonstrations, their vigilante attacks on suspected Uber drivers, their videotaped harassments of tourists, their main union’s trashing of their main dispatcher’s offices. Singh on Thursday promised his members will stay within the law, but they haven’t in the past.

The cabbies seem to think they’re the scrappy heroes of this story, which is a grave error.

Coventry Connections has rushed to improve service with things like an Uber-like app, but nobody seriously believes they’d have done it without Uber breathing down their necks. They’re not the good guys, either.

Nor are the Uber people. The company’s a corporate bully, flouting the law and all but daring the politicians to do something about it. That its behaviour in Ottawa and other cities gets rewarded is a pity.

Now that the changes are out in the open, we’ll see whether our councillors have the steel to see them through.

[email protected]
twitter.com/davidreevely

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...e-courage-with-its-plan-to-legalize-uber

[rocketphish]

Taxi union furious over city's proposal to legalize Uber

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 31, 2016 | Last Updated: March 31, 2016 7:18 PM EDT

The president of the local taxi union stormed out of council chambers swearing and spitting mad Thursday after the city announced it wants rules allowing Uber to operate legally in Ottawa.

“This is not fair what’s happening here and we will not tolerate it,” Amrik Singh said.

Singh said he doesn’t think the city is being fair to cabbies because it’s proposing a dual system for traditional taxis and “private transportation companies,” such as Uber.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans, chair of the committee that oversees taxi regulations, lauded city staff for striking a balance with the proposed rules.

“I think it would have been helpful if Mr. Singh had actually waited to read the report before he commented because he said there was nothing in it for taxi drivers,” Deans said after a briefing of the proposed regulations. “Of course, there’s a lot in it for the taxi industry and I think in some ways they’re a little surprised at how we’ve taken the handcuffs off the industry.”

To help cabbies, the city wants to lower the standard driver licence fee from $170 to $96, end the accessible driver licence fee, scrap the requirement to have taxi driver training (while keeping an accessible taxi course), increase the maximum vehicle age to 10 years and stop requiring certain makes and models for in-vehicle cameras.

Uber and other private transportation companies, or PTCs, could legally enter the regulated ride market by paying an annual flat licence fee to the city, plus 10.5 cents per ride. The licence fee is based on the fleet size and a company like Uber would pay $7,253 this year. PTCs wouldn’t be required to have in-vehicle cameras.

Cabbies and drivers for PTCs would need to have at least $5 million in commercial general liability insurance and motor vehicle liability.

Cabbies and Uber drivers would both require statements of driving records and police record checks to serve the vulnerable sector, but cabbies would only need to produce checks every three years. PTC drivers would require annual background checks.

PTCs would be banned from picking up passengers who flag down rides. They wouldn’t be able to use taxi stands or taxi lanes.

Only cabbies would be allowed to take cash payments.

The city doesn’t want to regulate Uber’s surge pricing, where prices jump with increased demand.

The city is trying to give the taxi industry a boost by warning people it’s “buyer beware” when using Uber and other PTCs, even though the city is satisfied with the safety requirements it’s proposing for non-taxi services.

There’s also a quick-win proposed for taxi customers: The city wants to end the $1.50 fee for cabs to process credit and debit card transactions.

In an e-mailed statement, Uber spokesperson Susie Heath said the company “commends” the city for its work and will have more to say after reviewing the report.

Hanif Patni, president of Coventry Connections, the city’s largest taxi company, said there’s room for both cabs and Uber cars in Ottawa, “as long as the rules were appropriate.”

Patni said he understands why cabbies are “livid” about the city’s recommendations.

“They obviously hurt us tremendously. We have worked so hard to raise taxi standards and make sure they’re safe for customers but at the same time we have 2,000 taxi drivers that have to make a decent living, and that decent living is based on a simple formula: What they take in from customers, carry out all the fixed costs that they have of operating, and what is left is left on the table for them,” Patni said.

The city hired consultant KPMG to help craft new taxi regulations. KPMG made 70 recommendations and the city accepted all but three.

The proposed regulations for PTCs were largely tailored for Uber, since that was the only non-taxi service that responded to the consultant’s request for feedback.

If approved by council, the new rules would take effect June 30. The community and protective services committee will consider the recommendations next Thursday before sending the proposal to council for final approval April 13.

The next two weeks will test the mettle of cabbies who have been pleading with the city to shun Uber from the regulator system.

There’s huge money at play.

City-owned taxi plates can be sold on the open market, and because the city controls the number being circulated, the plates have been selling for six figures each. The city proposes to release four more plates to the existing 1,188 as part of the regulatory changes.

Singh, the president of the taxi union, has credited cabbies for protesting Uber using legal tactics, for the most part. He has openly wondered how he can keep demonstrations orderly if they don’t like the rules created by the city.

“I promise you, we will be back,” Singh said before leaving city hall.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/taxi-union-furious-over-citys-proposal-to-legalize-uber

[Norman Bates]

The city must invoke legislative and regulatory provisions to protect the typewriter repair business in Ottawa.

This seems to be the argument being put forth.

Adapt or die. It is a Darwinian principle that applies even in this city.

[acottawa]

This seems like a reasonable compromise between safety and competition.

I feel sorry for the plate owners who engaged in speculation in the plate market and will lose a lot of money.

But the taxi industry has brought a lot of this on themselves, by putting out such an awful product for such a high price: poor condition of vehicles, poor knowledge of the city, loud music, loud phone calls, smelly or dirty cabs, etc., not to mention a lot of the violent incidents.

Anyway, driverless cars will probably put uber out of business in a few years.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

.
.
Uber and other private transportation companies, or PTCs, could legally enter the regulated ride market by paying an annual flat licence fee to the city, plus 10.5 cents per ride. The licence fee is based on the fleet size and a company like Uber would pay $7,253 this year. PTCs wouldn’t be required to have in-vehicle cameras.

Cabbies and drivers for PTCs would need to have at least $5 million in commercial general liability insurance and motor vehicle liability.
.
.

These look like the only extra costs on the Uber side... and looks like Uber (corporate) would pay the first.

I'm assuming the $5m liability Insurance would fall to the driver. Anyone have any idea what that would cost??

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Anyway, driverless cars will probably put uber out of business in a few years.

No, Uber is a driverless car service temporarily required to have drivers. The data they are collecting now, while consistently losing money, is an investment in the service they will soon provide.

[rocketphish]

City legalizes Uber under new licensing system

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 13, 2016 | Last Updated: April 13, 2016 4:57 PM EDT

Uber’s roughshod move into Ottawa’s taxi market has rewarded the international ride-ordering company with legal status in the capital.

After operating illegally on Ottawa streets since October 2014, city council on Wednesday voted to create a dual licensing system with different rules for the taxi industry and alternative ride companies like Uber.

One angry cabbie yelled at council after the vote as he was ushered out of chambers.

“I can’t believe the city is ruining our lives,” he bellowed.

The new bylaw comes into effect September 30. Uber has said it will continue to operate in Ottawa until then. The city will continue ticketing drivers.

“For the first time, there will be competition,” Mayor Jim Watson said. “It will make the industry better and it will give the public what they have been asking for.”

Council tweaked some of the bylaw provisions.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt won support to mandate the minimum insurance coverage at $2 million for both cabbies and Uber drivers. The city’s legal department recommended $5 million coverage, but the city’s consultant KPMG recommended $2 million.

“This is not just to help one side. This will help taxi drivers as well,” Moffatt said.

Moffatt also notched a win convincing council to make four new taxi plates released by city hall non-transferrable. Existing city-owned plates can be traded for large sums on the open market.

Other councillors had their suggestions shot down.

West Carleton-March Coun. Eli El-Chantiry tried to convince council to require cameras in Uber cars. Council voted against it but agreed with River Coun. Riley Brockington to reconsider cameras after a year of the bylaw being in force.

Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney asked to make the maximum age of taxis and Uber cars eight years old, instead of 10 years old as recommended by staff. A tied vote means the 10-year maximum age stands.

The city is creating a “private transportation company” licence category, where companies in that category will have to pay a licence fee to the city. For a company the size of Uber, it will be $7,253. Companies will pay an 11-cent commission per ride to the city.

Traditional cabbies will see the cost for standard taxi licences go from $170 to $96.

The city is getting rid of the $1.50 fee for taxi customers paying with credit and debit cards.

Nearly 50 people spoke in the first half of a two-day community and protective committee last week. Most were cabbies pleading with councillors to protect the taxi industry from Uber.

Several uniformed and plainclothes security were in and around council chambers Wednesday as politicians debated the report recommendations. Uber supporters in the gallery wore pink “Uber creates jobs” T-shirts, marking the anti-bullying Day of Pink. Uber’s Brett Chang was in the hall, handing out shirts to passerby.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans said the public has sent a message to the taxi industry challenging cabbies to innovate and compete.

“Carpe diem,” Deans told the taxi industry.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...bylaw-changes-that-would-make-uber-legal

[rocketphish]

The collateral damage of years of Ottawa's taxi misrule

David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 13, 2016 | Last Updated: April 13, 2016 7:03 PM EDT

For Tony Hajjar, Wednesday’s city council decision to legalize Uber in Ottawa is just about the end of the world.

He’s a career taxi driver, one of the fairly small number of them who owns his own plate. Unlike most drivers, he doesn’t have to rent one of the 1,188 city-issued plates that give a person the right to drive a taxi. He’s been driving for 36 years and sank $160,000 into that plate 20 years ago so he could be his own boss.

“I was just ready to sell it so I can retire,” he says. “Now it’s worthless. It has no value to it at all.”

Cabbies saw the future coming when Uber, disobeying the city’s restrictions, showed up in 2014 and started hooking riders up with freelance drivers at much lower prices than the city requires cabbies to charge. “A lot of people, right now, when they (saw) this happening, they all put their plates on the market. Nobody would buy it for 10 cents,” he says.

According to figures from the city, that isn’t exactly right: somebody this year bought a plate for $140,000, and last year a handful of plates changed hands for amounts running from $23,000 to $27,000. But a lot fewer were traded than once were, and the wild range of prices suggests that a taxi plate is now understood to be a very speculative investment in a market where most people are working with almost no good information.

That’s not the way it was just a few years before. Remember that in 2012, city council voted to reinforce the plate-trading system. Coun. Mark Taylor, who was in charge of the decision, called it “a matter of basic fairness.” One of the reasons explicitly given for the move by senior city manager Susan Jones was that ever-increasing plate prices would be a way for drivers to recoup the investment they made in their vehicles, which — unlike the real estate for a shop, say — depreciate to nothing as cabbies drive them into the ground.

“There’s at least 900 drivers who invested their lives — there’s people, not long ago, who mortgaged their homes to buy these plates, because they’re buying a job. And it’s taken away from them,” Hajjar says.

Wednesday, the 23-1 vote to legalize Uber utterly reversed the course that council set four years ago.

Jones backed the new changes, too. Her flapdoodle defence of the previous system, when she had to give it a few years ago, made it clear she knew that strengthening the plate system was stupid and short-sighted but the politicians were making her do it.

Now cabbies are paying.

“I’m going to have to keep working. I’m just hoping somehow it will work out and we will keep going,” he says.

Hajjar is not an early adopter. He’s been in the news many times as an angry cabbie. He’s protested dress standards, tougher limits on the ages of cars, the city’s failing to block Uber when it first arrived. But the city’s stubborn defence of the industry’s place gave him every reason to believe that was the best way to be. Right up until Uber came in like the tide and city council told him to swim or die.

Hajjar burst into a rage right after the vote.

“I can’t believe our city is ruining our lives! We voted (for) you!” he shouted at the councillors.

Hanif Patni, the prim president of taxi company Coventry Connections, tried to pull him away and Mayor Jim Watson told him that was enough but Hajjar wasn’t having it. “Do you know what you’re doing?” he demanded. “Uber is a criminal organization!”

Many councillors had already said almost as much, scolding the Uber muckety-mucks in the chamber for disregarding the law and bullying the government. Uber Canada boss Ian Black, policy manager Chris Schafer (whose deeply awful performance answering questions a few days ago discouraged even supporters), spokeswoman Susie Heath and lobbyists Chris Froggatt and Jessica Mastronardi sat there shoulder to shoulder and took it. They knew they were winning anyway.

This is what they do because this is what works. If they’d shown up and asked nicely, they’d have gotten nowhere.

The result is the right thing for Ottawa. But it hurts Tony Hajjar and people like him, who did what city council told them they ought to.

[email protected]
twitter.com/davidreevely

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...-damage-of-years-of-ottawas-taxi-misrule

[Norman Bates]

I drove for a while about 10 years ago. Long story. But at that time I was told a plate was $40,000 and that no bank would loan the money.

[lrt's friend]

We will see what happens but I expect this will ruin the livelihoods of many people. From what I am hearing, Uber depends on minimal regulation in order allow for constant turnover of drivers, who are paid poorly.

[acottawa]

There is still going to be demand for taxis: I doubt uber is going to take government chits, taxis will still have a monopoly at taxi stands and people looking to flag a cab and people uncomfortable with smart phones.

With the price of plates down, it might encourage more service-oriented entrepreneurs to enter the market and chase out the speculators and middle men.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

We will see what happens but I expect this will ruin the livelihoods of many people. From what I am hearing, Uber depends on minimal regulation in order allow for constant turnover of drivers, who are paid poorly.

Is there any argument to be made that driving a taxi should be a highly paid occupation?

On the one had I feel bad for the many immigrants who bought plates. That said I have taken a lot of airport taxis and pre-Uber pre-strike the drivers would even brag about how much money they can make. A couple of times a young guy in his 20s would tell me how he drives a few evenings a week and on weekends using his dad's plate and makes more than his 9-5 Government job or pays his rent working one day a week etc.