Taxi vs. Uber fight continues at city hall

Taxi drivers who lined city hall's viewing gallery Wednesday called Uber "greedy" and "evil" as the Licensing and Standards committee met to discuss potential changes to the city's rules for ground transportation.

Ultimately, the committee wrapped up today's contentious meeting by deciding to let council decide on whether the city should add further regulations to UberX, the popular ride-sharing service that allows anyone to earn money by providing rides.

• Poll finds Toronto residents support Uber, but think taxis are safer

Council is set to debate the issue at its meeting in two weeks.

For its part, Uber says it's open to working with the city to develop regulations for its service.

Cab drivers, as well as some outspoken councillors, still want the service ended and say if it isn't, it could kill off the taxi industry entirely.

The city staff report at the heart of today's debate calls for the following changes:

• That Uber and services like it be included in updated taxi and limousine regulations. 
• Taxi fares be dropped by $1 to $3.25 to make traditional cabs more competitive. 
• A new licensing category be created to cover services like Uber. It would require them to carry insurance, buy a permit, conduct a background check on drivers and ensure vehicles are safe.

It's the recommendation to create a new licensing category for so-called transportation network companies (TNCs), that has traditional cab drivers most upset. They say the new category will create a two-tiered system when they were promised one set of rules for all cab companies. 

Toronto Taxi Alliance spokesman Sam Moini said creating a TNC licensing category will mean the "death of the industry."

"The taxi industry and Uber provide the same service," he said on his way into Wednesday's meeting. "We provide a service of transportation from point A to point B with a vehicle. Why should there be two sets of rules for the same service? There should be one set of rules for all."

About 150 representatives of the cab industry spoke at the meeting. 

UberX has been putting pressure on traditional taxis and limos since it arrived in Toronto. The city report says UberX now accounts for about 17,000 trips a day.

At the same time, the report says that staff consultations with the public show that most Toronto residents want Uber and services like it in the mix to offer more options and increase competition. 

"Although taxicab and limousine industries feel that Uber should be banned, there is strong public support for the services Uber provides," the report reads.

Chris Schafer, Uber's public policy manager, urged the city's licensing and standards committee to adopt the report's recommendations. 

"I don't think we can put the genie back in the bottle by pretending technology hasn't changed the way we work, live and travel," he said. 

Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti expressed support for cab drivers by handing out black arm bands and telling an Uber Canada representative that Uber drivers need to 'get out' of his ward.