Toronto city council votes to look at regulating ride hailing service Uber

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Toronto’s city council has voted to investigate regulating ride-hailing service Uber.

Mayor John Tory says Toronto will have a “fair and modern” taxi industry and says city staff will develop regulations to “level the playing field.”

A motion related to Uber which was passed by city council on Wednesday night calls for staff to report back on a framework to regulate “alternate ground transportation providers.”

Council also voted in favour of asking Uber to stop operating in Toronto until that framework is submitted, but Uber Toronto’s general manager said the ride-hailing service would continue to operate.

Uber has raised the ire of the taxi industry, which says its business has dropped with the arrival of the unlicensed and lower-priced competitor.

Uber’s success in Toronto led the city to launch a wide-ranging review in July which was considered by city council on Wednesday.

Unlike cab fares, Uber’s prices are not regulated by bylaws.

Toronto cabs currently have a base fare of $4.25, with an additional charge of $0.25 for each additional 0.143 km and an additional $0.25 for every 29 seconds of waiting time. City council voted on Wednesday, however, to reduce the base fare for taxis by $1.

Uber has a base fare of $2.50 with an additional $0.18 per minute and $0.80 per km.