Mr Rattenbury, who addressed the protesting taxi drivers on Wednesday morning, said Canberrans were looking for better transport services and many would welcome Uber.
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“Uber, shame, shame! City, shame, shame!”, yelled cabbies.
Uber welcomes the opportunity to be regulated and follow the rules proposed by MLS. “They earn more money for driving customers than allowed”, TID chairman Søren Nikolaisen told broadcaster DR.
“We are not against competition but Uber undermines the whole taxi industry with wage dumping and illegal methods”, he said.
“Only the yellow and green [cab] industry are providing service for wheelchair-using people”, she said.
Councillor Josh Matlow was the only committee member who supported the full staff report, saying the reality is “Uber exists… whether one likes that reality or dislikes that reality”.
They did vote in favour of lowering cab fares by $1 plus 10 per cent and tightening existing bylaws for strict enforcement against Uber. Sam Moini, who represents taxi fleet operators, was happy with the decision and said the new fee structure will help consumers. “We as politicians cannot deliver everything that people want”.
Their arrival came at nearly the exact time Uber supporters also descended on Churchill Square and began picketing.
“I want to confirm that no driver partners with Uber have been arrested in the past or today”, Arya said by email. Mammoliti fired back. “That is the most constructive citizenship they can provide”.
“We come from Madrid, Barcelona, to defend a Europe free from Uber”, said Concha Guardado, a cab driver from Spain, with taxis from France and Britain also present.
Threats of a taxi strike are in the air, ahead of this afternoon’s public hearing at City Hall that will look into how taxis and ride share operations like Uber are governed.
A group of taxi and limousine drivers gathered at the former Montreal Technoparc, near Cité du Cinéma in Pointe-St-Charles, and slowly drove to the Trudeau airport in unison from there.
Despite past bylaw enforcement and the city’s unsuccessful court injunction attempt against Uber, Torontonians’ demand for the service continues to grow exponentially. “John Tory is the new dictator of Toronto”. Roughly 244 speakers registered to ask city council for amendments.
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, arrived to the meeting wearing a black arm band to signify what he called the death of the taxi industry.
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“I can recall when Ford was the mayor, everybody was joking about him in the chamber, nobody got escorted out”.
