MONTREAL – Taxis formed a convoy heading to Montreal’s courthouse Tuesday morning to file an injunction to ban ride-sharing service, Uber.
READ MORE: Montreal taxi drivers stage protest against Uber
They continued to insist Uber is illegal and operates without special licenses and proper insurance to carry passengers.
READ MORE: Mystery riders to test out Montreal taxis
Drivers said they’re fed up with the provincial government and are now turning to the legal system.
“It’s not normal that the industry must take care of what’s supposed to be done by the government,” said Benoit Jugand of the RTAM union that represents drivers.
“It’s simple: taxi is legal and Uber is illegal. The law says it. The law is clear. We simply want the law to be applied.”
READ MORE: Montreal taxis increase pressure tactics against Uber
The convoy started at the union’s office in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and travelled to the courthouse in Old Montreal.
Union representatives were met with cheers from drivers when they exited the building after filing the injunction.
They are asking the court to shut down Uber’s app while the matter is in the legal system.
“We’re doing what the government should have done before,” said Jugand.
“We’re asking for Uber to be deactivated for all of the province of Quebec.”
There are also plans to file a class action lawsuit against Uber and the government of Quebec to recoup lost revenue.
The controversy surrounding Uber has raged across the country, with Edmonton city council approving a bylaw last week that would allow it and similar companies to operate legally.
The bylaw takes effect March 1 and includes two licences: one for firms called private transportation providers and the other for taxis.
Uber trips are not eligible under the insurance plans that cover licensed taxi rides and opponents describe this as only one among many safety risks associated with the practice.
Uber, in turn, argued that developing a mobile app that lets customers hail nearby cars makes it a technology company rather than a transportation firm.
* with files from The Canadian Press.
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