MONTREAL – A senior executive at UberX has come out saying it’s time the province of Quebec embrace the popular ride-sharing service – and regulate it.
The multi-billion dollar company enlisted chief advisor David Plouffe to try and convince Montreal and other cities around the world to accept Uber as part of the transportation fabric.
Plouffe was hired by UberX last year, having previously worked as the mastermind behind President Barack Obama’s successful 2008 campaign.
Plouffe spoke to Montreal’s Board of Trade, telling his audience that Uber can help Montrealers in many ways.
He said Montreal is the most heavily-congested city in the country and insisted Uber will help ease traffic on the roads.
He added it also provides jobs to people in need.
“There are so many people out there who are in dire need of more money, but they have inflexible jobs,” he said.
“Uber is making a huge impact on people, helping them increase their wages.”
Montreal’s taxi industry has mounted a stiff opposition to Uber’s growth in Quebec.
They’ve held a series of protests over the last year, saying the ride sharing service is eroding their business and devaluing the cost of their $200,000 taxi licences.
WATCH: Montreal taxis protest Uber
But Plouffe said Uber should be considered a complement to the taxi industry.
He insisted it’s a technology company – not a taxi dispatching service – and should be regulated as such.
“Let’s look at Uber and ride sharing and how that fits into transportation laws the pre-date GPS, cell phones and smart phones and cellular technology,” Plouffe said.
“So, you are going to have to reform.”
Plouffe wants Quebec to follow in the footsteps of 60 other cities in the United States.
They’ve adopted a model knows as transportation network companies (TNC), governing Uber with a separate set of rules from the taxi industry.
Next week, Toronto’s city council will vote on whether to pass TNC regulations.
READ MORE: Couillard open to legalizing Uber-style taxis
Uber Quebec is hoping if it passes, it wil have a cascading effect on this province.
Premier Philippe Couillard has said he’s open to regulating Uber, but has yet to announce how he will do it.
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