Edmonton city council may have overstepped its bounds when it last amended the bylaw that regulates cabs, limos and private transportation providers like Uber.
Councillor Moe Banga has indicated that, at the Sept. 4 council meeting, he’ll ask for a report on the Vehicle for Hire bylaw because of some unintended consequences.
Banga’s concern is with an amendment that was made in June of last year that deals with police information check requirements. He said a driver can lose a job if they’ve been convicted of certain offences over the last 10 years.
He told Global News that it’s quite possible the bylaw is worded so vaguely it can catch someone up for an incident that has absolutely nothing to do with working in the industry.
“If a person, let’s say, got convicted of something in 2010 say, and they’ve been allowed to have their chauffeur’s permit renewed two or three times since then, but all of the sudden in 2017 now when their licence comes up for renewal they are not getting their licences back.”
A list of offences is included in the bylaw that are both from the Canadian Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. They include firearms and weapons offences, any offence involving sexual assault or other sex related crimes, trafficking, fraud or theft, or any offence relating to the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle.
Banga said many more drivers are being caught up in the new rules since council made the amendment.
“We used to have one of those (licence) renewals denied when an application came forward to have an appeal looked at, that was once every three or four months.
“Now they are probably four or five (every month) and they are going to be way more.”
He said many have already been sentenced by the courts, and have served their penalty.
“They have done it already. And they have been proceeding with their normal duties ever since. But all of the sudden with this new bylaw — that we didn’t see it at first when we passed it — now they’re losing their livelihood. I don’t think that’s fair.”
He said the city manager has no discretion, and he wants that reviewed.
A report will come back 12 weeks after Banga makes the formal request next month.