Nenshi warns there’s ‘very little’ to stop Uber from entering Calgary

CALGARY – City council has rejected a proposal to get rid of some restrictions placed on limousines and luxury sedans in Calgary.

Currently, Calgarians have to pay a minimum fare of $84.60 to ride in a limo, and must book their trip at least 30 minutes in advance.

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If councillors were to get rid of the flat rate and minimum booking time it would potentially pave the way for Uber to bring its black car service UberBlack to Calgary.

However, city staff rebuffed the proposed changes on Monday, instead asking administration to brainstorm some ideas to help regulate ride-hailing services like Uber.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi warned those attending the council meeting that change was inevitable.

“Those transportation networks are coming, and there’s very little regulatory that we can do to stop it,” said Nenshi. “The important thing that we have to understand is that we as an industry have to be ready. We have to be ready to compete.”