Taxi-Uber battle rages at Edmonton City Hall

A marathon public hearing, beginning Wednesday afternoon and going well into the evening at Edmonton City Hall, pit city taxi drivers head-on with Uber supporters.

Ride-sharers argued the Vehicle For Hire draft bylaw, which asks for drivers to be licensed and undergo police and vehicle checks, is too expensive for companies like Uber to be competitive.

Cabbies say the bylaw, which opens the market to drivers with less regulation than them, creates an unfair advantage for Uber drivers.

"It is a class genocide for the taxi industry," said Jasbir Gill, the first of nearly 240 speakers registered to address the committee. Gill said nearly 3,500 families in the city will be at risk if ride-sharing apps are able to unfairly compete with licensed cab drivers.

The committee heard there has been a 40 per cent decrease in the taxi industry since Uber launched in Edmonton in December 2014.

But for Derryn Donaghey, a former Edmonton Police Service member who was recently laid off and became a part-time Uber driver, being one has helped give him the financial flexibility to earn money part-time while searching for full time work elsewhere.

“It is a very good second option for me to get some income,” he said.

Edmonton mayor Don Iveson says he's been in talks with Toronto mayor John Tory, whose city is also tackling how to regulate vehicle-for-hire businesses, and hopes the two cities can work collaboratively to craft a bylaw.

But when asked whether he trusts Uber, Iveson says that is ultimately up to the public to decide.

“The track record up to this point has been not so collaborative, but we've heard a different tone today and a desire to work with the city,” said Iveson, adding vehicle insurance for Uber drivers remains the largest hurdle.

“If there is an issue where a pedestrian is struck or another vehicle is struck, and the fault is with the Uber driver and their insurance has walked away from them, right now there is no assurance to the public that those issues would be covered.”

Iveson could not definitively say when the bylaw would be complete. The public hearing wrapped up at 9:30 p.m. and will resume Thursday morning.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/09/16/taxi-uber-battle-rages-at-edmonton-city-hall
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NORWICH

 Around 50 hackney cabs circled the council building yesterday morning with their horns blaring out across the 
city.

The protest, which was significantly larger than expected, aimed to highlight an alleged lack of governance over rival private hire car drivers.

Organiser Craig Dimbleby said: “We had a really good turnout today and I think we got our message across. Already the police have said they will work with us in the future and that is one of the things we were looking for - it is the first step of a long marathon.”

The demonstration was initially planned to last two hours and involve 30 taxis driving around City Hall.

But the police held a last-minute meeting with the drivers yesterday advising them to change their tactics.

They were forced to travel to City Hall in groups of seven cars and were only allowed to perform two laps around the building.

Jon Perks, 59, chairman of the Norwich Hackney Trade Association, said: “I think we have made an impact today and I just hope the council takes notice that we won’t continue to be stood on.”

The taxi association flagged up a number of issues that were affecting business.

It asked for the council to provide clarity on the emission rules in city, and for it to stop private hire drivers from parking in ranks allocated for black cabs.

It also claimed that private hire firms were able to take a simplified version of the “knowledge test” – an exam that tests a driver’s knowledge of the city.

The local authority said it intended to work closely with taxi drivers in the future on all of the issues raised.

Chief Insp Nathan Clark praised the taxi drivers for their “sensible” approach to the protest.

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DERBY

A taxi driver who raped a passenger after she fell asleep in his cab has been jailed for 10 years.

Derbyshire Police praised the bravery of the victim in giving evidence against Shanzad Akram, who was found guilty by a jury after denying the offence.

Derby Crown Court was told that the woman, who is in her 20s, awoke to find Akram attacking her as she returned home from a night out in Burton-on-Trent last year.

Akram, 32, of Beech Street, Burton, was also ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, Derbyshire Police said.

Detective Constable Peter Robinson said: "It's been a year since the attack took place and it's understandably been a very difficult and upsetting time for the victim.

"She has been extremely brave, not just for coming forward but for taking to the witness stand. Her strength in giving evidence no doubt helped to convict Akram.

"She was also very well supported by her friends and family throughout and I hope she is satisfied with the sentence and can hopefully start to move on with her life."

http://goo.gl/CJkKAg
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 COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Around 300 Danish taxi drivers are expected to protest against the ride-hailing service of Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Wednesday, adding to the barrage of criticism facing the U.S. company from India and Brazil to New York city.

Lobby group Taxi Drivers in Denmark said on Tuesday it was protesting against the lack of action taken against Uber drivers following its allegations that they do not pay taxes and do not have the necessary insurance.

It said it has reported 200 drivers to the police since January but so far none had been convicted.
Uber has faced a storm of criticism from licensed taxi drivers across the world, arguing it poses unfair competition. In some instances, Uber has faced court injunctions and cars have been seized by authorities.

Denmark's Transport and Construction Agency reported Uber to the police in January, saying it violated Danish taxi regulations. The public prosecutor is evaluating a police investigation to see whether a case can be taken to court.

Uber said it was not running a taxi business in Denmark but a ride-sharing service.

"Uber partners are not employees but independent drivers who are responsible for their own tax affairs," General Manager Mathias Thomsen from Uber Denmark wrote in an email.

Uber Technologies Inc closed a round of funding in July that valued the company at nearly $51 billion.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/danish-taxi-drivers-protest-against-110451703.html
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