EDMONTON – The city’s vehicle-for-hire bylaw could soon include a different fee structure for ride-sharing companies like Uber and a new look hybrid fare structure.
There are several amendment options on the table.
The recommended option is an amendment that would see the specified rates only apply to taxis when offering street hails or service from a taxi stand. Any pre-arranged trip would be unregulated for all vehicles.
Scroll down to view full fare option chart and licence fee options
The city admitted Thursday not everyone will be happy with the bylaw being proposed.
“The main goal of City Administration and City Council should be to ensure the safety and reliability of the Vehicle for Hire industry in Edmonton,” said Pascal Ryffel, spokesperson with the Driving for Equality campaign.
“We know the industry is evolving,” said Ryffel, “but to respond by simply deregulating the vehicle for hire industry, without offering regulations that encourage safety and professional service, is irresponsible and potentially hazardous.”
Driving for Equality would prefer to see the same per-driver licensing fee for taxi and private transportation providers (like ride-sharing). It also thinks minimum fares should be mandated by the city for both roadside pickups and pre-arranged rides to “prevent predatory pricing by companies like Uber.”
Uber, which has been critical of what the city has proposed in the past, has now changed its tune.
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“Based on our initial review of the report, Staff’s recommendations are good news for Edmontonians,” Uber spokesperson, Xavier Van Chau, said. “Uber supports the report which creates smart rules to regulate ridesharing. We hope City Council will adopt the report’s recommendations next week and we are cautiously optimistic that Edmonton could become the first Canadian city to approve a workable regulatory framework for ridesharing.
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“We appreciate the openness city staff have shown to meet with all stakeholders and we look forward to continued collaboration with the City,” Van Chau said.
The city’s acting branch manager of current planning provided details about information requested by city council during a Nov. 17 meeting. City administration was asked to look at fee and fare structures and possible changes in insurance regulations.
When it comes licensing fees, administration proposed adding a new class of dispatcher that would apply to providers that offer pre-arranged vehicle-for-hire services using more than 200 associated vehicles. These “commercial private transportation provider dispatchers” would pay an annual licence fee that includes a flat rate ($50,000) and a per trip fee ($0.06/trip). The city will review those drivers and vehicles to ensure bylaw compliance. The individual drivers would not have to pay a licence fee as long as they exclusively operate through the licensed commercial private transportation provider dispatch.
On Nov. 17, city councillors approved first reading of the new vehicle-for-hire bylaw. It included controversial items like the $1,000 registration fee for ride-sharing drivers.
The new bylaw is scheduled for debate on Jan. 26. It could legitimize Uber’s operation, which is currently operating unregulated and illegally in Edmonton.
If the bylaw is passed, it could go into effect by June 1 or September 1.
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