Regina committee mulls tougher ride-share rules

REGINA Regina’s taxi industry went to council chambers on Wednesday with a simple plea: Don’t put your trust in Uber and Lyft.

The city’s proposed ride-share regulations were up for debate at council’s executive committee. Taxi-plate owners and cab-company managers lined up to warn of ruined livelihoods, less service for disabled passengers and even a heightened risk of sexual assault. They urged the city to impose the same standards it applies to their sector to keep passengers safe.

Lyft spokesman Matt Patton countered that the company does extensive background checks on its drivers and protects passengers using technology — notably through GPS and driver ratings.

“Lyft’s No. 1 priority is the safety of its users,” he said.

Councillors didn’t seem wholly convinced, especially after Patton proved unable to provide safety stats or identify what level of regulation the company would be willing to accept. Coun. Andrew Stevens called his responses “incredibly unhelpful.”

The committee chose to send administration’s proposal back for further study. That raises some doubt that a ride-sharing bylaw will be ready in time for a February vote, as previously expected.

The proposed regulations don’t include mandatory cameras or individual licensing — both of which are requirements for Regina’s taxi drivers. They follow SGI regulations in imposing no requirement for a class-four commercial licence. City administration also opted for a seven-cent-per-trip surcharge instead of forcing rideshare drivers to accommodate disabled passengers.

Tom Molema, who said he spent $135,000 to buy an accessible taxi plate, warned that the regulations would ruin his investment.

“There are a lot of people in this industry that you’re really throwing under the bus, and I hope it doesn’t happen like in other centres, where people are taking their lives,” he said.

Mayor Michael Fougere suggested there are likely ways to “tweak” the regulations to provide more balance. The committee asked the administration to come back with information on mandatory video, minimum fares, class-four licences, accessibility concerns and even the risk of drivers refusing passengers because of their race.

However, Fougere stressed that the public wants ride-sharing. Coun. Bob Hawkins agreed, and warned that council should be careful how much it tweaks.

“If we start incorporating the elements of one model into the other, we’ll eliminate the element of choice,” Hawkins said.