UBER GETS TAXI LICENCE — BUT NOT FOR CUT-RATE UBERX

Controversial ride- hailing company Uber says it has received a taxi brokerage licence from the City of Toronto for its taxi service. Uber spokeswoman Susie Heath said Friday it had been working with the city’s licensing division for the brokerage for its service, Uber Taxi, that connects riders with cab drivers in the city through a mobile app. The move does not affect the company’s controversial cheaper service, UberX, that connects riders with unlicensed drivers, which is a practice the city says is illegal. Parts of downtown Toronto were shut down last month as taxi drivers protested UberX and demanded change from Mayor John Tory. Tory has said the city is working on a new regulatory framework with the goal of incorporating new technologies such as Uber’s into its taxi bylaws.