Recap of the Ottawa city council debate on legalizing Uber

Read the live blog here.

After a marathon 18-hour session of feedback and debate at the committee level, a plan toupdateOttawa's taxi regulations and tolicenceride-hailing companies landsat fullcity council Wednesday.

• TIMELINE| Ride-hailingin Ottawa
• City committee clears road for Uber in Ottawa

Like many cities, Ottawa has been grappling for months with how todeal with the arrival of app-based Uber, and to craft regulations for such ride-hailing companies, while taking into account the upstart's effect onthetraditional taxi industry.

Now, a step ahead ofToronto, Ottawa city councilis expectedto approve regulations Wednesday that should take effect Sept. 30.

Many Ottawa citycouncillors agree change is needed, and people are demanding more choice in transportation.

While Uber may have started up early in Ottawa, choosing to operatewithout a licence, councillors saidother ride-hailing companies are waiting in the wings and this proposed new regulatory category is for them too.

"It's important not to set this up as rules for Uber.It'srules for anyone who wants to enter that market," said Coun. Tobi Nussbaum.

Video camera issue may be debated again

Ahead of the meeting, several councillors said theyintended to vote in favour of the regulations as a whole, but that somedetails might need further debatewhen full council meets.

Coun. Riley Brockington, for instance, said he voted at committeeagainst the contentious issue of requiring vehicles-for-hire to install security cameras, as is required for taxis in Ottawa. It's something the taxi industry has been pushing.That motion failed in a 3-7 vote.

But Tuesday, Brockington said hewas reconsidering hisstance.

"At the end of the day, even though the Ubermodelis different and there are some added processes in place that reducerisk,I'm notcomfortable having cars withoutcameras in them."

Deans expects the camera issue may resurface at council, buthoped to leave itat committee.

"I think it's a poison pill. It breaks Uber's business model," said Deans.

"It's veiled in safety, but I really think when we saw all those angry (taxi) driversstorm out of the chamber, it told the whole story that what that's really about is trying to keep Uber out of the market."

Taxi industry

On the eve of the vote, the taxi industrywas busy having discussions at city hall, hoping to gain eleventh-hoursupport for their issues, a list that has been whittled down fromnine demands to three.

Itwants vehicles-for-hire to have thevideo cameras installed, have their drivers undergo police record checks, and to have the companies defined asprivate taxicompanies, not private transportation companies.

"The taxi industry in Ottawa will not exist if they approve this report,"warnedAmrikSingh, president ofUniforLocal 1688."We hope they make a decision that is good for the public of Ottawa, not forsome private company that doesn't even pay taxes to Ottawa."

But Coun. Stephen Blais expected council to open the market to Uber.

The industry, technology and market demandwillkeep evolving, he said, and the keywill betoupdateregulations more quickly toreflect those changes.

"I think what we have to do is not be complacent about it and that we don't lead ourselves to replicating in another way the problems we have in the taxi business that we have today," saidBlais.