The City Cautions Calgarians about Private For-Hire Vehicle Services
CALGARY - The City of Calgary has been advised that Uber, a private for-hire vehicle company, intends to commence offering its UberX service in Calgary starting October 15.
The City advises citizens that there are risks associated with participating in private for-hire vehicle services such as Uber. These risks include the fact that the vehicles are not inspected by The City and the drivers are not licenced by The City. There is also a risk that drivers, passengers and any third party involved in an accident with one of these vehicles may not receive insurance coverage or may receive only limited coverage.
On October 5, Council directed Administration to report to the November 16 Strategic Planning Meeting of Council with options for Council to consider regarding regulating Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). TNCs provide on-demand transportation services for a fee. Uber is an example of a TNC.
Despite this direction from Council, Uber has chosen to launch its service in Calgary before Council has had an opportunity to consider any options.
“We welcome options that meet the needs of our citizens and that offer them the ability to get around quickly and efficiently,” said Marc Halat, Manager of Compliance Services with The City of Calgary. “Citizen safety is the primary objective as The City works to provide transportation options that meet the needs of Calgarians and our visitors.”
Until such time as Council considers options and decides if and how to regulate private for-hire vehicles, the current Livery Transport Bylaw will remain in force and the operation of private for-hire vehicles will remain a breach of the bylaw. Drivers who contravene the existing bylaw face fines of up to $1,500 per offence under Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the bylaw.
The City of Calgary enforces the Livery Transport Bylaw to ensure public safety, service quality and consumer protection. To learn more about livery transport services in Calgary, visit calgary.ca/taxi.
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