Questions raised about Regina’s proposed ride-sharing rules

Regina city council still has many issues to tackle before making its final decision to allow companies like Uber and Lyft to operate.

A meeting on proposed regulations for ride-sharing services in the city ended with several unanswered questions on Wednesday.

While hearing from delegation from Lyft and the taxi industry councillors raised concerns about licensing, accessibility and safety and security.

“There’s some concern by members of council about ride-share, how it works, but more information is needed to make an informed decision,” Mayor Michael Fougere said.

Councillors decided to ask city administration to prepare reports on what was not recommended in the framework, like adding cameras and setting a minimum fare.

It also wants to know the implications of requiring all taxi and ride-sharing drivers to have a Class 4 licence, which requires a medical check.

When the province announced its ride-sharing regulations in December, it no longer required a Class 4 licence for taxis.

As of December 14, both taxi and ride-sharing drivers can have a basic Class 5 licence.

However, there are additional requirements for drivers with a Class 5, which include maintaining a safe driving record with less than 12 demerit points.

Administration will do a legal review and consult with SGI to find out if it can go against provincial law, setting its own minimum licensing standards.

“It’s unclear whether we can do that or not,” said Fougere.

These reports will be presented back to city council at the end of the month, when it had planned to make its final decision on ride-sharing regulations.

Cab driver wants equality

Tom Molema said he’s done well in the taxi industry but is worried about its future.

The cab driver has bought and sold multiple plates throughout his career and said the latest he bought was for $135,000.

He said today it’s worth $100,000 or less and believes it will continue to drop in value.

“I don’t think that because another service is coming in that us people that have been here providing the service for years and years and years should be kicked to the curb,” Molema said.

He welcomes competition but doesn’t believe the proposed city regulations for ride-sharing are fair.

He wants Uber and Lyft to operate under the same rules as a taxi.

“We’re all hauling people for money. All I want is equality,” he said.

Safety is a big concern for Molema and he wants cameras mandatory for ride-sharing drivers.

Lyft’s Public Policy Manager Matt Patton argued the security system lies within its app.

He told councillors the passenger can see the driver’s profile before requesting a ride.

Both driver and passenger can then rate and report each other afterwards.

If concerns are bad enough, Lyft can then cancel their account and they won’t be able to use the service anymore.

Molema was also one of the speakers that helped convince some councillors to keep the required licence at Class 4 because of its mandatory medical check.