Ride-Sharing Bill Would Remove Manitoba Taxicab Board, Municipalities to Regulate

A new ride-sharing bill was pitched to the Manitoba legislature on Monday that would allow Uber to operate across multiple cities in the province.

If the bill were to pass, the Manitoba Taxicab Board would be removed, allowing the individual municipalities to regulate. The removal of the taxi board would give Uber and Lyft great potential to move into the province.

A spokesperson for the taxi industry said that the bill is biased and it would put taxi drivers out of business. Scott McFadyen, a spokesperson for the taxi industry, said:

“They’re bringing forward legislation that, in the stroke of a pen, will eliminate an industry.”

In a statement to the committee, public policy manager for Uber Canada Chris Schafer said:

“[The bill should pass without changes] … And give the City of Winnipeg, for the first time, the ability to regulate its own vehicles-for-hire industry, be that taxi, limousine or ride-sharing if that’s what they choose.”

Schafer said that many cities across Canada that have passed bylaws governing ride-sharing services, and require mandatory criminal background checks for all new drivers. Technology is continuing the enhance the safety for riders and drivers. As an example, the driver no longer has to accept cash, which was a huge safety concern with traditional taxis.

[via CBC News]

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.