Taxi drivers lose another legal challenge against Uber

The taxi industry has been hit with another blow in its legal efforts to stop Uber's activities in Quebec.

In a written decision handed down Tuesday, Quebec Superior Court Justice Michel Yergeaurejected the industry's request for an injunction against the ride-hailing service.

A coalition of taxi industry representatives filed the injunction last week,requestinga safeguard order that would suspend Uber's activities in orderto safeguard its rights.

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In his decision,Yergeau saidthere was no way of knowingifUber is to blame for drivers' financialproblems or if there weredeeper problems.

The judgewas notconvinced by the taxi industry's argument that there was an urgency to act, writing thatUber has been operating for years and theindustry should have taken legal action sooner if the situation was so dire.

RTAM-Mtallos, a steelworkers union that represents several thousand taxi drivers,said the taxi industry would not give up as a result of the ruling.

"If the governmentwants to see us in the streets then they are going to see us, and it's starting tomorrow," said BenoitJugand, a spokesperson for the union.

Taxi drivers in Quebec City plan to demonstrate outside the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Jugandsaidthere would also be "a national protest in the city of Montreal with all the taxi drivers, taxi owners and taxi companies"on Oct. 5.

This ruling comes just a week after the taxi industry lost another injunction request in Quebec Superior Court.

That request, denied by Justice Michel Dziel,sought to suspend a recent deal between Uber and the Quebec government.

The dealallows the ride-hailing service to operate in the province for the following year andisslated to take effect on Thursday.

Yergeau, like Dziel, suggested the coalition spend its time preparing for a morein-depth hearing scheduled for January 2017.

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