Hamilton Councillors Want to Temporarily Suspend Uber Service

Councillors in the city of Hamilton have asked Uber to suspend service within the city until regulations are decided upon.

On Wednesday, Uber representative Chris Schafer told councillors that they company could not commit to temporarily halting their services in Hamilton. The ride sharing service has not agreed to temporality halt its services in any other city in Canada.

City councillor Sam Merulla suggested Uber is happy to operate in this scenario. In a statement, he said:

“This is framed as a progressive service … it’s actually a step back when it comes to public safety,” he said, pointing to uncertainty about accident insurance and no municipal oversight of vehicle or driver records.

“Is it a shared economy if I set up a booze can in my basement?”

Schafer said that Uber exceeds the taxi industry when it comes to safety rules and regulations, however, councillors said that being self-regulated does not meet Hamilton’s safety requirements. Several of the city councillors were irritated by the company’s decision to continue operating without municipal oversight or permission.

Do you think Uber should temporarily suspend their service in Hamilton? Or do you think that they should continue to operate? Let us know in the comments below.

[via The Hamilton Spectator]