John Tory: Uber can't stay in the 'Wild West'
Mayor says city must find way to regulate services like Uber, while helping traditional cabs compete
Toronto Mayor John Tory said Friday the city needs to find a way to regulate Uber while relieving regulations on traditional cabs.
During an interview on CBC Radio's Metro Morning, Tory said outlawing Uber, which uses a mobile app to connect drivers with passengers, wouldn't be the right move. The UberX service allows anyone to earn money by providing rides. That's drawn the ire of taxi companies, who say they can't compete with what amounts to an unregulated service.
"Banning Uber isn't the answer," said Tory.
"We have to find a resolution that involves regulating Uber, so they're not in the Wild West, and relieve some of the regulation on the taxi industry so they can compete fairly."
Last week, the issue came before the city's Licensing and Standards Committee, which opted to let council decide on how to proceed. Representatives of the taxi industry packed council chambers, many saying that allowing Uber to operate would be a death blow to their industry.
The issue is on the agenda for council's Sept. 30 meeting.