Cabbies could put it in park, mayor warned
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/12/2017 (2574 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The official spokesman for Winnipeg taxicab owners and operators is optimistic city council won’t approve ride-hailing services until it’s better informed, but one renegade member of the coalition says cabbies may vent their frustration this festive season.
“Certainly, the city risks paralysis,” said the man, who asked not to be publicly identified.
“What would happen if all the drivers went off?” he speculated Thursday, the day after local cab drivers and operators pleaded with members of the city’s executive policy committee to reconsider a bylaw governing taxis and ride-booking services.
In 2016, taxicab drivers in Quebec went on strike to protest the province’s deal with ride-sharing giant Uber. In Ottawa, Toronto and other Canadian cities, angry cabbies have taken to the streets to protest ride-hailing services.
“In the event there is some sort of paralysis where drivers walked out, the mayor wears this for his complete disregard of 1,600 families,” the Winnipeg industry insider said, referring to the licence holders and operators who have argued their livelihood is at stake.
On Wednesday, EPC, the mayor’s cabinet, voted unanimously to endorse new rules that allow ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to operate in Winnipeg.
The committee made two amendments to the proposed bylaw: calling for an annual review of the bylaw after the first year, and revising its wording on how people who use wheelchairs are described. Coun. Brian Mayes said he will push for an amendment requiring ride-hailing vehicles to have driver safety shields.
Council will vote on the bylaw next week, and many cab owners and operators are worried about the outcome.
“The industry is in complete shock that this city, with the stroke of a pen, is so eager and keen to rush in the regulations,” the coalition member said.
The spokesman for the Winnipeg Community Taxi Coalition, meanwhile, dismissed any talk of disrupting cab services in the coming weeks.
“Do we have any plans to interrupt service? Absolutely not,” said Scott McFadyen, the official taxi industry spokesman who represents Winnipeg’s two dominant cab companies, Duffy’s and Unicity.
“We’re 100 per cent certain we’ll get amendments to the bylaws. We’re very optimistic,” McFadyen said Thursday. “The EPC heard pretty strongly that the consultation process was lacklustre, that it’s not done its research on the impact of ride sharing in other jurisdictions.
“It’s opening up councillors’ eyes on an issue that, quite frankly I think they haven’t done enough study of,” said McFadyen. “Their level of knowledge was insufficient to be making decisions.”
Concerns about safety standards, traffic gridlock, Transit ridership and the environment haven’t been adequately considered, he said.
“They haven’t done their homework, but there’s still time. I have faith in democracy and, from what I’ve witnessed from cabbies, is they have faith in democracy,” said McFadyen.
On Thursday, coalition consultant Ajay Chopra said he thinks the local industry can convince city council to hold off approving the bylaw, at least until it has more information.
“We’re going to go back to some of the councillors and talk to them about the regulations,” said Chopra, adding if that doesn’t work, they’ll consider court action. “We have legal options that members of the coalition are exploring.”
Meanwhile, the two biggest ride-sharing services trying to enter the Winnipeg market said Thursday they’re “pleased” and “encouraged” by local developments.
“Winnipeg deserves more transportation options,” Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath said.
“Cities across Canada are embracing innovation and adopting smart regulations for ride sharing, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton,” she said by email. “We were pleased to see the bylaw pass unanimously at committee (Wednesday), and we hope that we can bring ride sharing to Winnipeg by March 2018.”
Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Harrison said from San Francisco the company doesn’t have any launch plans to share at the moment, but it is “encouraged by the work being done in Manitoba to allow affordable, modern transportation options like ride sharing to operate and see opportunity for Lyft in the province.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
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Been there, done that
A man who drove for Uber Canada for about a month in his spare time says it wasn’t worth his time. Safety wasn’t a concern – it was the chintzy pay that, after taxes and gas, worked out to about $5 an hour.
“You don’t make any money doing it,” Jeff Gagnon said by phone Thursday from Ottawa. However, the full-time, federal public service worker said he wasn’t driving for Uber to make money.
“I did it to see what it was like and to have fun,” he said. In the end, “I felt my time was better spent doing something else.”
Personal security – a concern often raised by opponents to the ride-sharing service operating in Winnipeg – was never an issue, Gagnon said. “I didn’t have any safety concerns.”
There are no safety shields mandated for Uber drivers in Ottawa — a requirement one Winnipeg city councillor is calling for. The way the ride-sharing service operates mitigates much of the risk, said Gagnon.
All users are registered ahead of time using a credit card and riders don’t pay with cash, he said. Until the pick up, all they have is the rider’s first name and their star-rating. After every ride, Uber drivers are required to give the rider a star rating, ranging from one to five.
Uber drivers don’t know ahead of time where they’re taking the passenger(s).
“It could be five blocks or an hour-long trip,” Gagnon said. “I still don’t think its ideal, from an income perspective.
“For drivers who can choose their own hours, it might work out well.”
If he wasn’t already earning a full-time income and driving a compact luxury crossover SUV “that’s not the most economical,” his Uber stint might have worked out more favourably, Gagnon said. “For me, it was unprofitable.”
Gagnon, 36, said he didn’t have any bad experiences and avoided driving the late-night bar crowd.
He said he became a fan of Uber when he was living in Washington, D.C., nearly a decade ago.
“I was happy to see it come to Ottawa,” said Gagnon. “I think ride sharing is more economical.”
However, he said there’s a place for both ride-sharing services and traditional taxis.
“There’s definitely been times and situations where I would have preferred to hop in a cab,” he said. “Competition has proved to be a good thing so far.”
– Carol Sanders
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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