Uber drivers and users alike are waiting to see what will come of the Kingston and Area Taxi Commission’s new rules that threaten to push the ride-sharing company out of town.
And one person who’s especially puzzled is a member of the commision, Craig Draeger.
He was the sole member of the seven-person commission to vote against the bylaw.
“I have never seen any justification for why the regulatory expenses would be so high for a commercial ride-sharing company,” Draeger said.
The taxi commission is one of only two such bodies in the province that set the rules for cab services independently of the municipalities they serve.
“I’m trying to learn, along with everybody else, exactly what this new bylaw looks like, but it’s not something that I or council have any direct control over,” says Mayor Bryan Patterson.
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The Commission has created a bylaw that means the ride-sharing company will have to pay registration fees to the tune of $35,000 per year — $40,000 in the first year.
Kingston Coun. Liz Schell, who sits on the commission, says the fees will pay for enforcement of so many more ride-for-hire vehicles and drivers.
“Our sole manager of taxis now has another 200 taxis to be the policeman for. That means either he works long hours or we’ve got to hire somebody else.”
Uber has yet to issue a statement about the changes, but if they go unchallenged, the new registration rules and fees will come into effect Sept. 15.
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