Uber’s long, bumpy road to crack Calgary’s market
International ride-sharing program still not in gear; talks continuing
When representatives from Uber attend a special meeting of the Livery Transport Advisory Committee at a northeast hotel in Calgary on Thursday, it will mark yet another chapter in the rocky relationship between city hall and the brash U.S.-based ride-sharing company.
For three years, Uber, which lets users order and pay for rides from freelance drivers by cellphone, has attempted to break into the Calgary market.
Here’s a look at what’s happened in the years leading up to Thursday’s meeting.
UBER IN CALGARY TIMELINE
2008: Uber co-founders Travis Kalanick and Calgary-born Garrett Camp have trouble hailing a cab in Paris. They imagine tapping a button to get a ride and, in 2009, Uber is born.
Oct. 2013: An Uber spokesperson tells Postmedia that Calgary would be a good market and the company wants to bring its ride-summoning mobile app to the city, but first needs city hall to change its taxi and limousine regulations.
Nov. 2013: Uber partners with Calgary sedan service operations and runs a weeklong trial giving Calgarians who use the app free rides.
July 2014: Uber returns to the city, this time with blue logos on Calgary ice-cream trucks and free desserts for people who hail a ride on the app.
Aug. 2014: A report to council from city administration warns of safety risks associated with taxi-hailing apps and says when Uber came to Calgary for a week in 2013, drivers had insufficient insurance, lacked Alberta driver’s licence qualifications and, in one case, even had an outstanding police warrant.
Oct. 5, 2015: A proposal to lower fares and ease rules around limousines and luxury sedan service in Calgary, making it easier for Uber to operate, is rejected by city council because of safety and market fairness concerns.
Oct. 15, 2015: Uber thumbs its nose at city officials and launches in Calgary with entrepreneur Brett Wilson taking the first ride. On its first day, Uber reports 500 freelance drivers have signed up to provide service, while the city says drivers could face fines totalling $4,500. Wilson later says he’ll donate $100,000 to the new central library project if the city allows Uber to operate in Calgary.
Nov. 14, 2015: Uber drivers are asked by their lawyer to stop operating until the city’s application for an injunction is heard in court. An affidavit names 57 people allegedly caught breaking Calgary’s livery transport bylaws in an undercover operation. Postmedia later learns the city paid three private investigator firms $21,800 as part of the undercover enforcement operation.
Nov. 20, 2015: A Court of Queen’s Bench judge grants the city’s application for a temporary injunction to stop Uber drivers from operating on Calgary streets. In a news release, the city says it has charged 19 people with 52 offences, and an investigation is ongoing related to another 19 drivers who face 48 charges.
Dec. 12, 2015: Uber and the city reach a truce. The ride-share company agrees to suspend its operations until a new framework is developed, while city hall agrees to stop its pursuit of a permanent court injunction.
Feb. 22, 2016: In a 14-1 vote, council approves a new bylaw, praised by Mayor Naheed Nenshi as a “21st century” model other cities could emulate, allowing ride-share companies to legally operate in the city. Uber calls the proposed bylaw unworkable and vows not to return to Calgary.
April 22, 2016: A 27-minute video of Nenshi talking candidly to a Lyft driver in Boston, filmed and live-streamed on Periscope the day before, emerges. In the recording, Nenshi refers to Uber’s CEO as a “dick” and suggests the city directed criminals, including sex offenders and people with convictions for violent crime, to test Uber’s background screening process.
April 23, 2016: In a 633-word missive, Nenshi apologizes to Uber’s CEO and says he is not aware of anyone convicted of a sexual offence clearing Uber’s background check.
July 25, 2016: After being directed by council to investigate, Calgary’s new integrity commissioner concludes Nenshi was “enthusiastically indulging in some extravagant hyperbole” when he claimed the city hired criminals during a covert operation against Uber. The integrity czar calls for Nenshi to deliver a fulsome apology “as enthusiastically delivered as the Boston statements” to members of city administration and Calgarians. Nenshi says he made a mistake and has learned an important lesson.
Oct. 17, 2016: The city announces it wants to revisit the ride-share bylaw approved in February and make changes to the fee system in an effort to “allow vehicle-for-hire companies of all sizes to serve the market more effectively and efficiently.” The public is invited to weigh in on the proposed amendments, which could pave the way for Uber to return to Calgary.