Taxis, Limos, Ride-Sharing Review Body ContentThe information on this page is currently being updated. Please check back soon. (Hidden) Current Licensing Framework Why is the City reviewing for-hire ride options? The City licenses and monitors taxis and limousines. However, ride-sharing services are operating illegally as they are not within the City’s licensing system. To explore options for a level-playing field, Council directed staff on February 24, 2016 to review all forms of for-hire ride options and make recommendations. Until the review is complete and the necessary regulations adopted, the City has asked Uber to suspend its Uber X APP in Brampton. Has the City laid any charges on illegal rideshare?Since February 2016 when Council asked rideshare (Uber) to cease operations in Brampton, the City has laid 21 charges against rideshare drivers. Three of these charges have been convicted by the courts. The remaining are still before the courts. What amount of fines were issued to rideshare companies? For the three convictions issued by the courts, the amount of fines totalled $1500 ($500 each respectively). The courts have the discretion to determine the fine amount issued. Those fines are not set by the City. Why are rideshares continuing to operate in Brampton if they are illegal?The City is currently reviewing the by-law to create a level playing field for all operators (taxis, limos, rideshares). It’s important to note that while licensing is boundary-based, users are not. This means that a resident of Toronto (where rideshare is licensed), may use a rideshare to visit Brampton. When Brampton’s new by-law is ready, there will be more clarity about what operators are allowed in Brampton and how the City will enforce the by-law. What is involved in the licensing review process? The City is reviewing the by-law in a two-phased approach. As part of the first phase, the City will make recommendations for proposed changes to its current licensees (the taxi and limousine industry) in Fall 2017. In the second phase, staff will look into the feasibility of licensing of the rideshare industry. Staff recommendations will be presented to Council in early 2018 after it is first discussed with the Taxicab Advisory Committee.Who is the City collecting input from?Input is collected from a number of areas, including consultation with the taxicab industry, limo industry, rideshare companies, members of the public (online survey) as well as benchmarking with other municipalities for best practices. All input collected will be considered in making recommendations for amending the by-law. Have all the consultations been completed? Since the summer of 2016, the City has been collecting input from various stakeholders. Additional consultation workshops are planned with the taxi industry this summer. This summer, staff will also draft a revised work plan and consultation approach for the rideshare industry. This will be first presented to the Taxicab Advisory Committee in September.How will the input be used?All input collected will be used to develop a recommendation to Council with proposed changes to the taxicab and limousine industry. Staff will also provide a recommendation on whether or not to license rideshare businesses. (Hidden) Upcoming Changes When will the revised by-law be ready?It is anticipated that staff will present a report to Council in fall 2017 with recommendations for the taxi and limousine industry. Will you make changes to the taxi industry?Based on the 2016 consultation with the taxi industry, some recommendations of the Taxicab Advisory Committee regarding training, English language testing and vehicle age requirements for accessible taxicabs were approved by Council in late 2016. Additional proposed changes will be made this fall, including on licence fees, brokerage requirements, additional fares for transporting bulky items, training for drivers of accessible taxicabs, and vehicle age requirements for regular and accessible taxicabs. Will you also licence rideshares like a taxi or create a separate licence for them?As the by-law review is underway, it is premature to comment on this. What we have seen is that some municipalities are choosing to licence rideshare companies and audit the requirements for the vehicles and drivers. The determination of licensing rideshare companies will be fleshed out as part of phase two of the review. What should consumers be aware of when using rideshare?Currently, rideshares are not licensed in Brampton so it is advised that you do your research and be aware of matters relating to safety, insurance and customer rights in the event of an accident or other customer service issue.