Uber is being told to temporarily shut down operations in Edmonton, pending a review on how it can be regulated.
City officials said the company has been asked to voluntarily stop operations for now, or the city will seek an injunction from the courts to stop it.
Uber was the focus of a committee meeting at City Hall on Tuesday. In council chambers, it was standing-room only, and the meeting lasted well into the evening with more than two dozen speakers for and against the company.
Over the next several months, City Administrators will meet with Uber to develop rules on it’s safe operation in Edmonton.
“Make some decisions in order to meet the demands of the market which we’re not quite hitting today, and everybody working together so we can get closer to it and do it with more taxis, or we can do it with ride-sharing, or maybe both,” Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday evening.
An Uber spokesperson released the following statement to CTV News Wednesday:
"Mayor Iveson, members of City council and the Edmonton public have all made comments clearly indicating that the status quo does not meet the needs of local residents. As proposed in the resolution adopted at yesterday’s council meeting, we look forward to working with City to help draft new regulations that seek to embrace new transportation alternatives like ridesharing. With regards to operating, it's premature to make any assessment but we remain committed to contributing to a solution that serves the best interests or riders, drivers and the general public."
Other options councillors want investigated include the potential for adding new taxi medallions, as recent analysis indicates Edmonton’s taxi supply is short by about 200 vehicles, based on the population.
The motion brought forward Tuesday also asked administration to work with taxi brokers to get a better sense of issues with customer service, such as wait times and taxis available during busy times.
A report is expected to go before council in the fall.
With files from Laura Tupper
