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There is an alternative to cracking down on Uber drivers, says mayor

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano says it may be time to make some changes to the city bylaw concerning taxi cabs.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano says it may be time to make some changes to the city bylaw concerning taxi cabs.

A recommendation to slap charges against ride-share company Uber, if and when it begins operations in the Sault, was put forward to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board at its Thursday meeting.

Established cab companies in cities where the ride-sharing service has set up shop have protested Uber's undercutting of fixed cab rates in municipalities, as well as its practice of charging higher prices at times when there is greater demand.

Uber drivers, in addition, are not officially licensed and insured to operate as cab drivers.

With that in mind, Sault Police Constable Henry Jin, responsible for enforcing the city of Sault Ste. Marie bylaw concerning taxi cabs, wrote to the board "I believe that Uber drivers meet the definition of a taxi under the city bylaw and if they are to operate within the city they will be operating illegally."

"I recognize and agree that Police Services have to enforce the bylaw as it stands, because you can't have an unfair economy where some operators are regulated and some operators aren't, so I agree with that principle," Provenzano told SooToday Friday from Toronto.

However, Provenzano added "I don't know if I would agree with that assessment in full."

"I think this is an opportunity for Sault Ste. Marie to take a look at its bylaw, take a look at what the Competition Bureau is saying, and maybe be a leader in this area."

The federal Competition Bureau, on Thursday, released a report recommending local and provincial governments loosen up restrictions on how many cab licenses are granted to drivers, let people hail rides from the curb and allow cab companies to use Uber-like surge pricing methods when demand for cab rides is high. 

"A lot of communities are going to have to deal with Uber, and frankly I'd rather see Sault Ste. Marie be a leader in the 21st century economy than a lagger, and I think this is an opportunity to take a look at things and make sure we're doing things progressively," Provenzano said.

"I think we should have a larger look at that bylaw and see if it's appropriate and reasonable in this economy."

"Either we enforce the (existing) bylaw and treat Uber like we treat the cab companies and charge them for not applying through the bylaw, or we take a look at the bylaw and figure out if there's a way we can promote competitiveness and better rates and better services for the community."

Provenzano said he has suggested to Sault Police Chief Robert Keetch that the matter be included on the agenda for discussion, along with the Competition Bureau's report, at the next Police Services board meeting.

Earlier this year, Toronto Mayor John Tory said city council will work to enable cab companies in Canada's largest city to be more competitive with Uber and other services like it. 

Sault cab company managers were not immediately available for comment Friday.

- with files from The Canadian Press

Previous SooToday coverage of this story:

Police reaction to Uber drivers

(PHOTO: Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano)


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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