Judge denies injunction request to suspend Quebec's Uber deal

The agreement between the Quebec government andride-hailing serviceUber has withstood its first legal challenge.

On Tuesday, aQuebec Superior Court justicedenied a bid by the taxi industry for aninjunction to suspend the Uber deal.

The injunction request was filed last week, on the grounds that Transport Minister Laurent Lessard went outside his powersin creating aagreement that runs parallel to Quebec's new taxi law.

• What's in theUberdeal?

But in a written decision,JusticeMichelDzielsaid, given that the Uber deal is not yet in effect, the injunction request was premature.

The deal hammered out between the government andUberisslated to take effect Sept. 29.

Itcontains new rules and guidelines for the company and its drivers to abide by, and it allowsUberto continue operating in Quebec for another 12 months under a pilot project.

"Today's ruling is a confirmation that we can continue servingQuebecersunder our agreement with the government,"UberQubec'sgeneral manager,Jean-NicolasGuillemette, said in a statement.

"Our focus remains offering a quality transportation alternative under the terms established by the pilot project andimposed by the government."

• Quebec-Uber deal is an 'abuse of power', says taxi drivers' lawyer

Silver lining?

Representatives of the taxi industry, however, interpreted the judgment as containing a silverliningfor theircause.

By recognizing that the pilot project is not yet in effect, the ruling implicitly demonstrates thatUberhas been operating illegally for the past weeks,saidMarc-AntoineCloutier, lawyer forLe Frontcommundu taxi, whichrepresents three large taxi-industry groups.

Cloutiertold reporters that the ruling will form the basis of another injunction request the common front intends to filethis Thursday.

"Somebody will have to explain to us why this company continues to let people get into its cars when they don't have the right to do so,"Cloutiersaid.

GaborKovacs, who'sbeena taxi driver in Montreal for the last 25 years, says he's pleased the taxi industry will continue to fight.

"They're driving the same types of vehicles that we are," Kovacs said"They're not really playing by the samerulesso that's not really fair. You have to play by the same rulesotherwisewhat's the point?"

• Uber cars seized while taxi industry promises legal action to contest deal

Unlike the injunction that was turned down on Tuesday, this next injunction will specifically targetUber. If successful, it would amount to a court order suspendingUber'sability to operate in Quebec.