Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday that it wasn’t ironic for him to criticize Uber after announcing a special day to celebrate entrepreneurs because the innovative ride-sharing company isn’t following the rules.
“Whole Foods just arrived here. They didn’t go and throw out every rule of health and safety and building code, they followed the rules of Canada, and I’m expecting Uber to do the same thing,” the mayor told reporters.
“We welcome entrepreneurs, but the entrepreneurs can’t simply come in and snub their nose at the law of the land, it’s plain and simple.”
The Ottawa mayor’s comments come a day after Toronto’s newly elected mayor publicly criticized his own city’s approach to Uber.
The City of Toronto is seeking a court injunction against the San Francisco-based company, which mayor-elect John Tory said in a statement is the wrong approach.
“Uber, and services like it, are here to stay. It is time our regulatory system got in line with evolving consumer demands in the 21st century. As mayor, I intend to see that it does, while being fair to all parties, respecting the law and public safety,” Tory said.
Officials in Ottawa are monitoring the court proceedings in Toronto, Watson said, but have made no plans to launch a similar legal challenge.
“Whether you like it or not, we have a regulated taxi industry and there are rules in place from a safety perspective and an accessibility perspective that should be respected,” he said.
“If we can get a court ruling from a provincial court in Toronto that can be used to our benefit, then we’ll do it.”
Uber maintains it is a technology company responsible for creating a mobile phone application that connects riders with drivers. Opponents says it’s a taxi company and should be regulated as such.
Watson admitted there is a level of public dissatisfaction with Ottawa’s taxi industry, but wondered aloud whether the advent of social media has allowed more people to complain publicly about tardy drivers and messy cabs.
And he added that the taxi issue didn’t come up at the door when he was canvassing during the recent election campaign.
“Not one single person to the best of my recollection over the last eight months raised this as a pressing issue,” the mayor said.
He did, however, address Uber during an Oct. 8 meeting with the Citizen’s editorial board.
Watson dodged the question about the need to re-vamp the city’s taxi regulations, suggesting that in the next term: “There’ll probably be some desire to look at how technology is affecting the taxi industry.”
He also pointed out then that it’s unclear what security measures Uber cabs offer or whether any are accessible.
The mayor spoke to reporters after announcing that Ottawa will host a day-long celebration next year to showcase entrepreneurs and local businesses on Nov. 17
