City council is hiring a consultant to review regulations for taxis and other ride providers as Uber begins operations in Windsor.
Vice President of Unifor Local 195 John Toth, representing over 300 Vets Taxi drivers in Windsor, says the city should stand up to foreign companies like Uber in the same way it has fought against actions of the Ambassador Bridge company.
"These are companies that challenge the city's right to govern and in the case of the bridge, the city has stood up to the challenge on the side of the law. We would ask the same for our industry," says Toth. "The laws are in place for a reason and we would expect those laws to be adhered to."
Toth argues Uber doesn't follow the same rules traditional cab companies do and criticized the city's review process as rushed.
"I don't see the value of rushing into this. I don't see the value of strictly looking at what other cities are doing either. I think we need a made-in-Windsor approach," says Toth.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says while the review will focus on how companies like Uber can be regulated, it will also look at cutting red tape for current cab companies.
"If there's a way for us to lower our fees to the taxi industry, if there's a way for us to create jobs and help them do their business more effectively and efficiently, that's our role too," says Dilkens.
The consultant will cost around $30,000 with recommendations on bylaw changes coming back to council in the new year.
