Weeks after the City announced and proposed a new vehicle-for-hire bylaw that would allow companies such as Uber to operate legally in Edmonton, councillors met to discuss the bylaw – but the meeting deteriorated when dozens of taxi drivers loudly walked out of the meeting in protest.

Back in early September, officials said the proposed vehicle-for-hire bylaw would include: allowing companies that have mobile app dispatch services to operate, standardizing requirements for vehicle-for-hire class to include a mandatory criminal record check, proper class of provincial licence, insurance and annual mechanical inspections, and standardizing fees for licences of all classes of vehicles for hire.

On Tuesday, City Council met to discuss points of the bylaw.

Just over half an hour after councillors started their discussion – taxi drivers who attended the meeting started to clear out of chambers, furious, claiming Council was ‘corrupt’ and ‘favouring Uber’.

CTV’s Breanna Karstens-Smith was in chambers at the time.

 

 

City Council also left chambers at this time.

 

About 15 minutes after taxi drivers walked out security and city staff managed to get a number of the taxi drivers back into their seats.

Edmonton’s acting City Manager then reminded observers that the discussion Tuesday afternoon was for Council, not for public speakers.

 

Before Councillors returned, a number of Edmonton Police Service officers were brought in to council chambers for extra security, and City staff distributed water to the people in the crowd.

The United Cabbies Association President then urged calm from the crowd – and told taxi drivers in the gallery that there were still options after council’s discussion had ended.

The meeting continued, with some amendments brought forward including the possibility of having lower licence fees for Uber drivers, with Uber paying fees as well.

Afterwards, officials said taxi drivers would plan a meeting in the coming days to discuss their response to decisions made by council – officials said they haven’t ruled out a strike.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Ramit Kar, Uber’s General Manager for Alberta issued a statement in response to the meeting.

“While some clauses would prevent ridesharing from continuing in Edmonton, Uber remains committed to working with staff and Council to build trust and find a path forward.”

The first part of a new vehicle-for-hire bylaw is expected to go to a vote in November, with part two coming in the spring of 2016.

With files from Breanna Karstens-Smith