Controversial and popular ride-sharing service Uber wants to move into Waterloo Region – even though it’s already been warned not to.
“What Uber did was contact the region and ask to meet with us,” said Angelo Apfelbaum, the region’s manager of licensing and enforcement.
“We were not interested, because we know what the program is about.”
An app-based service, Uber works by matching registered users with its fleet of drivers – all of whom, the company says, have undergone background checks.
Both parties must accept each other before the ride is confirmed, and fares are estimated beforehand – with the funds then transferred electronically.
After the ride is over, the drivers can then be rated by their passengers.
Uber already runs in several Canadian markets, including Toronto and Montreal, where it touts itself as cheaper than traditional cabs.
In most of those communities, cab drivers have spoken out against Uber, citing safety and other concerns.
Shaun Bhuiyan, who has used Uber while in the U.S., says he enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t hesitate to use it again.
“It was much faster than taxi service,” he said.
The company has been advertising for drivers in Waterloo Region for its UberX service.
While some Uber branches have more stringent regulations for drivers, UberX drivers need only pass a background check, and have personal auto insurance, a well-maintained four-door sedan and an age over 21.
Peter Neufeld, the head of the Waterloo Region Taxi Association, says licensed taxi drivers have to go through a stricter licensing procedure.
“These are random drivers picking you up,” he said of Uber’s fleet.
“They haven’t gone through the processes that we have to go through. I don’t know if I would feel safe getting into a car that just shows up.”
Apfelbaum says fees for operating an unlicensed taxi – which, he says, would include an Uber ride-share – range from $150 for a first offence to $25,000 at the upper end.
“If we catch them, we charge them,” he said.
With files from CTVNews.ca
