Uber, other ride-sharing services bylaw set for vote in Waterloo Region

Uberis one council meeting vote away from being allowed to operate legallyin Waterloo region afteranew bylaw encompassing"traditional and non-traditional taxi services"was finalized by the region's licensing and hearings committee yesterday.

The bylaw will now go to Region of Waterloo council and is expectedto pass in August 2016, the region announced in a news release Wednesday.

"Public input was clear, they wanted bothoptions they wanted choice," the release states.

• Regional vehicle-for-hire bylaw could regulate Uber, taxis and limos
• Waterloo Region Uber drivers could face fines of up to $250

"Drivers, owners and brokers will now have a similar license structure that achieves public safety and consumer protection."

Cameras remain a sticking point

Under the new regulations, traditional taxis and their ride-sharing counterparts will share a single set of insurance rules andfacethe same driver screening standardsand vehicle requirements. That means all vehicles-for-hire will need toprovide $2M in liability coverage and make proof of that coverage available to customers, regional clerk and director of council servicesKris Fletcher told CBC News.

The committee also agreed to freeze the existing ratio of 1 traditional taxi per 1650 people. There had beenan earlier proposal to limit the ratio to 1:1500, Fletcher said. Non-traditional taxis would face no such limits, but they would be prohibited fromoperating from designatedtaxi stands.

As for whether cameras will be required for vehicles-for-hire, Fletcher says that debate remains active.

The region's taxi industry would like to see cameras required for both traditional and non-traditional vehicles, Fletcher said. Council will have to decide on that aspect of the bylaw when it meets in August.

• Erb and Erb now offers insurance coverage for Uber drivers

"Our priority throughout the process was to ensure passenger safety and consumer protection," Fletcher said in the release.

Proposed start date: October 1

The bylaw comes after a months-long wait by the region for the Ontario government to take the lead and put in placeprovince-wide regulating measures that would put bring taxis, limousines and other vehicle-for-hire serviceslikeUberandLyftunder a single legal umbrella.

In February, regionalcouncillorJane Mitchell told CBC News that the region had hoped to implement a bylaw by Jan. 1, but thatcouncillorsdecided to wait to see if the province would take action before then.

• From March, 2016:Bylaw chargesagainst Uber drivers to continue while revision process continues

When provincial legislation didn't happen, theregional government pressed on. If council passes the bylaw as expected, it could be implemented as early as Oct. 1.