Police in Niagara Region charged 20 unlicensed UberX drivers in connection with violations of bylaws and found one driver for the ridesharing service was not the one he claimed to be and another had been charged with a criminal offence.
Niagara police said in a release that drivers of vehicles for hire are required to be licensed for public safety, which includes extensive criminal and driving history background checks, vehicle registration and safety checks, proof of applicable insurance and successful completion of a taxi driver training course.
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In addition to the charges, police said they also discovered these “noteworthy concerns”:
- One of the drivers was not the Uber driver that was advertised.
- One of the drivers was currently charged with a criminal offence.
- One of the vehicles used was not currently registered.
- Three of the drivers were from outside the Niagara Region and did not know the area.
The Niagara Regional Police Service said it would continue to commit to enforcing all regulations dealing with the transportation-for-hire industry in Niagara.
“Using unlicensed transportation for hire is always risky due to the unknowns involved including driver background, vehicle condition, and insurance considerations,” police said in a release.
“Public safety remains the priority.”
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