Taxi drivers protest licensing changes at City Hall

As well, the committee supported the staff recommendation to reduce the so-called passenger “drop fee” from $4.25 to $3.25, as well as a further 10 per cent reduction in the overall fare effective Nov. 1.

Uber welcomes the opportunity to be regulated and follow the rules proposed by MLS. A permit would then allow them to offer private vehicles for hire if they met a number of conditions including proof of insurance.

“Much of what the taxi industry says about us is not true”.

Another at the protest, Amit Kumar, who has been driving taxis for six years, said the decision to strike was necessary given their concerns.

“It shows that Uber is not distinct from us”, he said. We know that trying to impose an existing regulatory framework onto the new business models of the sharing economy will not work, as it will only burden it with the same problems that technology is now capable of solving.

Wednesday’s vote came after hours of the theatrics.

Similar protest have been held before, but today’s will focus on denouncing the Quebec government’s lack of a concrete stance on Uber, said Jocelyn Desjardins, a spokesperson for a union that represents roughly 5,000 drivers across Quebec. “That is the most constructive citizenship they can provide”.

Ebrahim Ulu, president of the United Houstonian Taxi Drivers Association, understands a driver’s desire to go with Uber and escape the clutch of traditional taxi companies.

Taxi drivers say Uber circumvents local regulations on safety, tax and licensing.

Mr Rattenbury, who addressed the protesting taxi drivers on Wednesday morning, said Canberrans were looking for better transport services and many would welcome Uber.

The matter now goes to Toronto City Council at its meeting at the end of September. “John Tory is the new dictator of Toronto”. As of 12:45 p.m., 244 applicants had registered to speak.

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti – a member of the licensing committee – was flabbergasted that Anemi was removed and threatened to walk out of the meeting. “I just hope everybody is respectful”.

He said the city is in a grey zone, and cannot accept liability for an activity that is not properly insured.

“One joke about the mayor and a gentleman gets escorted”.

“We also intend to undertake a range of deregulation for the taxi industry, to take away some of the rules and costs that have been placed on the taxi industry, thus starting to level out the playing field”. “I didn’t hear that particular (dictator) comment”.

Mammoliti said he didn’t hear the man call Tory a “dictator”.