Uber faces Saturday deadline to stay in Kingston

After nearly two years in operation, Uber might be on its way out of Kingston, Ont.

On June 27, the Kingston Taxi Commision approved a bylaw that would require any ride-sharing company operating in the city to be regulated by the commission.

The bylaw is scheduled to take effect on Sept. 15 requiring Uber to pay a $40,000 registration fee to remain operating in Kingston. The fee has yet to be paid by Uber which has left many drivers uncertain if they will be employed after Friday.

Kingston resident, Raymond Paquette, has been an Uber driver for nearly two years and says if Uber were to leave, it would strip 30 to 50 families of their livelihood which would spur many to go on unemployment.

Paquette is a retired businessman and is currently caring for his wife who suffers from various health problems, and he says the flexibility of being an Uber driver provides him more time with his wife.

“If Uber decides to end its contract in Kingston, it will force me to become a driver in Ottawa and I won’t be able to see my wife as much as I’d like to,” said Paquette.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If Uber decides to end its contract in Kingston, it will force me to become a driver in Ottawa and I won't be able to see my wife as much as I'd like to," said Paquette.

After numerous attempts by Global News to contact Uber Canada for a comment, they said, “We don’t have anything to share right now.”

If Uber does pay the sum required in the bylaw before Sept. 15, all drivers will have to apply for an annual paper licence, with registration fees that will cost them between $600-$950 yearly.

As previously reported by Global Kingston, the Uber drivers would also have to foot the bill for police record checks, and all cars would have to be less than seven years old and checked regularly.