Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft will now have to abide by the same regulations as other vehicle-for-hire services within Airdrie, following City council’s adoption of a new bylaw to replace the Taxi Bylaw.
“We understand the public wants the ability to have a choice in their selection of public transportation, but we also want each option to be safe and fair across the board,” said Colleen Kinley, the City’s chief licensing officer, in a presentation to council at the July 2 meeting. “Together with the provincial regulations, we believe these changes reach that goal.”
The municipality’s previous Taxi Bylaw was endorsed in 2010 and saw minor updates in 2011 and 2016. In July 2016, Kinley said, the province introduced legislation regulating Transportation Network Companies (TNC) – vehicles for hire that utilize an app and are not permitted to accept street hails – which enabled and governed ridesharing services in the city. According to Kinley, council decided in April 2017 to wait to amend the Taxi Bylaw until the new legislation had been tested.
“This would give staff time to assess what might need to change in the current Taxi Bylaw to ensure public safety and confirm a level playing field for Airdrie’s taxi brokers,” she said.
Since then, several other Alberta municipalities began regulating rideshares through municipal bylaws. According to Kinley, administration reviewed TNC bylaws from Calgary, Edmonton and St. Albert, and determined “comprehensive changes” should be made to bring Airdrie’s Taxi Bylaw in alignment with those of other municipalities.
Shahraz Cokar, owner of Precision Motor Worx in Airdrie, spoke at the public information session to request council consider amending a proposed policy that would allow brokers to have vehicle inspections performed at any garage with Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC) certification. He told council the business should be kept within Airdrie.
However, Kinley said some brokers have complained local garages are too busy to conduct timely inspections – forcing drivers off the road until their vehicles have been evaluated. Additionally, Coun. Candice Kolson argued it wouldn’t be fair to dictate where business owners access the products or services they need.
“We can’t do that with any other business…that doesn’t sit well with me,” she said. “If somebody were to come…and say you can only order from your local Napa store for parts, you cannot order from outside of your municipality, it would be the same thing.”
Coun. Al Jones proposed an amendment to increase the number of inspections required from one per year to one every six months – particularly since the inspections don’t indicate potential mechanical problems that could become an issue in the near future. Instead, according to Kinley, brokers are given a report with a simple pass or fail.
“I’ve driven for a living, I know how much stuff can go wrong in a few months,” he said. “You don’t know when a guy’s going to hit a pothole, you don’t know when he’s going to hit a curb. And that greatly changes the amount of life expectancy out of those parts.”
According to Kinley, since the original Taxi Bylaw was introduced with the requirement for annual inspections, there have been no significant collisions reported. Kolson also pointed out the increase would double the cost, making the process considerably more onerous for brokers.
While Jones’ motion was supported by Coun. Tina Petrow, it failed 2-5. Jones also moved to raise the amount for licensing rideshares with 10 or more drivers from $1,000 to $5,000, which was defeated 1-6.
Following a motion from Deputy Mayor Kelly Hegg, third reading was carried with opposition from Jones.
