Hamilton City Council Considers Legalizing Uber

Hamilton may be the next city to legalize Uber, as city council seeks a way to create a “level playing field” between taxi drivers and the ridesharing company. City staff are preparing a report to create a new licensing category, with an update to be revealed on March 30, 2016, reports CBC News.

At a council meeting yesterday, Coun. Sam Merulla said the motivation for this plan is for fairness and safety of the public at large. “I get that it’s a cool thing to do,” said Merulla, adding “But just because it’s cool doesn’t mean it’s in the best interest of the public.”

Hamilton has fined 21 total UberX drivers $305 each for picking up passengers without a taxi licence. The city looks to find a solution in dealing with Uber, similar to other cities in Canada. So far, only Edmonton has legalized the service, with new bylaws set to kick in on March 1.

Yesterday, Montreal taxi drivers setup blockades at the airport as part of their UberX ‘hunt’, while Toronto taxi drivers agreed to cancel their protest during the NBA All-Star Weekend.