'We just want a level playing field' – taxi companies

Sudbury's taxi industry is not opposed to having a ride sharing company like Uber come to the city, as long as they play by the same rules.

The city hosted an open house at Tom Davies Square on Jan. 20 about the possibility of Uber operating in Sudbury. Most of those in attendance were taxi company operators and drivers.

The message from the taxi industry was that they want the playing field to be level if there is to be more competition over customers.

“Competition is competition, and everyone who is calling a cab or an Uber driver wants the same thing and that's to get a ride to where they're going,” said Keith Flinn, a driver with Lockerby Taxi.

“We just want it regulated so that they (Uber) have to follow the same guidelines as us with regards to safety and fares.”

Greater Sudbury has 131 licenced taxi drivers, each must pay $250 for a taxi owner's licence, $50 for their written driver knowledge test, and $50 for driver's licence renewal.

Cab drivers are also required to pass background checks and are insured for up to $2 million, which was another concern for the drivers, when the issue of passenger safety came up.

“If you're riding in a cab and you're injured in a collision, that's what the taxi company's insurance is there for,” said Flinn. “In a Uber there's no coverage so you're running that risk.”

Another concern raised was accountability and the inkling that Uber drivers are not adding anything to the local economy.

While all of Sudbury's cab companies (eight majors and a handful of independents) all pay taxes, the concern is that Uber will not be on the hook, and are actually pulling money out of the community as a percentage of fares go to the San Francisco-based company's head office.

This thinking however, is a bit off base, according to Caroline Hallsworth, Greater Sudbury's executive director of administrative services.

“These drivers aren't just taking money and leaving,” said Hallsworth. “It would be people who live in Sudbury driving these Uber cars and the money they make will be spent in Sudbury.”

Hallsworth headed up the passenger discussions during the open house, and the response was mostly in favour of having Uber in Sudbury.

“Most of the people we talked to said they've had good experiences with Uber. They say they felt safe with their drivers, they like how money never changes hands, and it seems as though people are open to having more options,” said Hallsworth.

“Some of the challenges people have had with taxis is long wait times or just missing cabs all together when you're leaving a bar and there's a lot of people waiting for cabs. Also people have said that it can be difficult to get rides in more remote areas, or it can be very expensive.”

City staff offered surveys for both passengers and drivers at the open house, and the same survey is being offered online until 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 24.

“So far we've had more than 600 surveys taken by members of the public,” said Darlene Barker, project lead on the city's research into bringing Uber to Sudbury.

“Right now there's a lot to look at because there's nothing that regulates Uber, by definition they would currently fall under our taxi bylaw, but as you're seeing in a lot of communities down south they're scurrying to get regulations in place for Uber and we're trying have that in place before it gets here.”

The changes don't have to be drastic, according to the feedback that Hallsworth received from members of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce who were in attendance.

“It's not that there needs to be more regulation, but it needs to be the right regulation,” said Hallsworth.

“We would need to find a way to make it work for everybody.”

City staff will present their recommendations to council by the end of their first quarter.