Calgary, AB,
30
November
2016
|
13:05
America/Denver

City agrees to lift injunction on Uber drivers

The City of Calgary has agreed to lift its injunction on Uber drivers, and is moving forward with its application. Uber will be able to operate in Calgary as of early December.

On November 29, 2016, a lawyer representing Uber’s drivers asked The City to agree to have the injunction lifted. The City has reviewed and confirmed that Uber has met its licensing requirements, and Uber drivers have fulfilled the safety and administration requirements of the Livery Transport Bylaw. As the original legal basis for the injunction no longer exists, The City of Calgary has agreed to ask the Court of Queen's Bench to lift its injunction that prevents anyone from operating as an Uber driver. The application is expected to be approved in the next few days.

“Safety is and always has been our top priority,” says Marc Halat, Manager of Compliance Services for The City of Calgary. “We are pleased Uber has met the bylaw requirements and can enter the Calgary market to give citizens choice, while maintaining public safety.”

History

  • When Uber began operating in Calgary in October of 2015, it did so without requiring its drivers to obtain the appropriate driver’s licence or the appropriate commercial insurance to operate safely.
  • The City brought its injunction application to cease that unsafe operation until such time as the drivers complied with all applicable safety legislation. The injunction application asked that no person be allowed to operate as an Uber driver until they met the requirements of the Livery Transport Bylaw including the proper insurance and class of drivers’ license.
  • The injunction was issued on November 20, 2015 by the Court of Queen’s Bench.
  • On February 22, 2016, City Council approved a comprehensive package of bylaw amendments to regulate Transportation Network Companies, Transportation Network Company drivers and associated apps in Calgary.
  • In September 2016, Uber applied for and received a Transportation Network Company Licence.

Recent bylaw amendments

On November 28, 2016, City Council approved several amendments to the Livery Transport Bylaw including the addition of an alternate licence fee payment option for Transportation Network Companies as well as improvements to the application process for Transportation Network Company drivers.

City Council also approved a fee freeze for all vehicle-for-hire services, maintaining the 2016 prices in 2017, and the release of 222 additional non-transferable Taxi Plate Licences (TPL) to allow the traditional taxi industry to compete in this evolving market. It takes approximately 90 days for these plates to be active on Calgary roads.

For more information on vehicle-for-hire services in Calgary, visit calgary.ca/taxi.

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