Ride sharing service Uber is lobbying the provincial government of Alberta to green light new rules on driver licensing and insurance before a March 1 deadline. If the government fails to act, Uber said it will have to cease operations in the province.
In January, Edmonton became the first city in Canada to pass an Uber-friendly bylaw, giving the ride sharing company the opportunity to operate within the bounds of the law and opening up a legitimate market for a new insurance product. The proviso is that drivers acquire provincially approved insurance by March 1.
“Uber and its partner
Intact Financial have submitted all the necessary documents, but need the province to act,” said Ramit Kar, general manager for Uber Alberta.
“Without approval by the NDP government before March 1, thousands of Albertans will lose their ability to earn by providing rides, and tens of thousands will lose access to a much needed transportation option,” he said.
Under the new bylaw, Uber can’t get a licence to operate without provincially approved insurance for its drivers, and an Uber driver caught without it could face a $5,000 fine. Edmonton is understood to be actively hiring bylaw officers to ensure enforcement.
Uber scored another win this month when the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) approved a 'first of a kind' coverage for drivers that carry paying passengers in their own vehicles.
Aviva Canada said the coverage, now available for Ontario drivers, is a simple addition to an
Aviva-insured personal auto policy.
Aviva said it will be working with regulators across the country to make the solution available in other provinces in the coming months, opening the door for brokers to sell the product.
Calgary city council is also due to debate proposed changes to its Livery Transport Bylaw on February 22.
Calgary City and Uber had issued a joint agreement in December stating that they were working together to develop solutions for new transportation options that are safe and reliable for Calgarians, but Uber found the proposed bylaws are unworkable.
That could change later this month. “That’s what The City is delivering because that’s what Calgarians told us they want. We are proposing new changes to our Livery Transport Bylaw that will create the opportunity for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber to legally operate in Calgary,” the city council said.
