UBER

[Rcleece]

When Toronto City Council is basically saying that UBER is illegal and insurance companies are warning drivers regarding potential coverage, it is very surprising to me that a Canadian icon such as Rogers would openly promote the service.

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @Rcleece

Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums! 

Thank you for the interesting post. I thought the Toronto city council voted for new rules to accommodate Uber? Maybe I'm not correct.

@Community - what are your thoughts on this subject? Please chime in, thank you all!

RogersMoin

 

[BS]

Don't know the status on the position of Toronto council, but I recall that they were putting a hold on the service until new bilaws and regulations can be developed.

The issues of insurance, collection and payment of taxes such as HST, and your own personal taxes are all issues for snyone considering using these services.

In addition, developing a level paying field is important. It will mean that both services may have to make adjustments on how they run and license and supervise their drivers and owners.  

But as a company, personally, I would be reluctant to recommend Uber as a service option until some of the "bugs" are worked out.  Buyer of the services, and providers of the services beware.  Know your legal responsibilities related to liability, insurance coverage, and tax reporting and any developing regulations that may come.  It doesn't appear from my own research and a friend who has driven for a profession for years, his own and other's vehicles, he didn't go forward because of the whole reporting of income, are you a business, or self employed, insurance issues, and liability.  I personally wouldn't go forward without legal advice.

I think it is too soon for Rogers to be advocating for this type of service unless it is also going to  take some responsibility to the community at large or providers and consumers as a good corporate citizen.  Be interested in reading the reference to Rogers position on this as I personally have not seen it.

A changing world, but there are clear legal and social responsibilities that still need to be considered in this newly developing field of asset sharing, including companies like B&B and others.

Bruce

[lockdown2341]

I don't live in an area where UBER has any drivers, and even if I did I wouldn't take them. At least with a taxi company you have some sort of screening process. With UBER it seems like they just take anyone, not even checking to see if they might have a criminal record or anything. The horror stores I've heard of UBER drivers threatening/assaulting their passengers has turned me off of it completely.

I believe the main reason for the promotion is that if you are travelling, in theory a free ride with UBER is a great idea since you'll probably be using them for transport anyway. But I'd caution anyone against using their service.

[ARoC2J]

I respectfully couldn't disagree more, from what I understand to be an Uber driver you need to maintain a certain * rating.  The rider will rate the experience and if you are low ratings you simply are not permitted to drive anymore.  Unlike what is happening where I am from in Ottawa where the taxi companies are fighting with each other and smashing each others windows, puncturing tires.. I wouldn't take a taxi if they paid me at this point with how I see them acting in the news.  That's just my opinion though.

[jimboden]

@ARoC2J

Toronto had a huge taxi driver demonstration a few weeks ago protesting against Uber. They blocked a very important downtown intersection at Queen and Bay for several hours. That did not impress me in the least. I understand why they are upset, but making fools of themselves doesn't help their cause.

I've used Uber a couple of times and liked the service. I just wish City Hall would move faster on its proposed regulations. Typical politicians, I guess. It takes them forever to get anything done and they have a tough time ever agreeing on anything.

[Meowmix]

Hello @lockdown2341

I disagree with what your saying. I use Uber once a day or 3-4 times a week and never once did i have a bad driver or any horror stories... I have taken taxi cabs which i have many recordings of them messing with the meter for the payment, speeding, flipping off Uber drivers or any other driver and more. Posted it on Beck taxi and all they offered was a dree taxi ride worth $30. Lmao thag won't get me anywhere as from my work to my home it's $45 with a taxi but with Uber it's $16. Cheaper and cleaner cars. Plus they offer you water or candy which u don't need to take. Also u have their licence plate number, name and picture as well on the app and receipt u get. Taxis u don't unless u take a physical picture of it. Show me a Uber driver doing what the Taxi driver did during the protest and show me Uber drivers blocking highways, public roads just to protest. A taxi was blocking a ambulance trying to go through on the highway during that day. U still okay with that?. Just out of curiosity.

Go check Beck taxis Facebook page to see everything.

[jimboden]

@Meowmix

Mentioning Beck Taxi reminded me that a very senior manager at Beck Taxi guaranteed that Beck would not participate in the demonstration at Queen and Bay. When I saw it on the evening news, guess which taxi company cars were front and centre at the intersection?

[Meowmix]

Hello @jimboden

Yeah i heard the same thing. Actually the daughter of Beck comes to my store and i talked to her on a daily basis and she tells me the horror stories from inside the offices of Beck. She even told me she rather just use Uber but her family won't..

Beck taxi won't survive and the taxi drivers will notice it. Standing outside my store last night waiting for Uber a Beck taxi rolls up and honks. I tell him no thanks and still waits. Uber comes and picks me up. While I was getting in, the taxi driver didn't move and tried blocking his way. Pulled my phone out and started recording and he noticed it. Once he did, he was speeding out so he doesn't get caught. I rather be safe then in those dirty cars.

[jimboden]

@Meowmix

Wow, that really is interesting. There's no doubt that "times are a-changing" as the old saying goes. I've only used Uber a couple of times to haul a big tower computer to a store near me because I don't have a car. The drivers arrived in very short order and it was fascinating to watch the GPS on my iPhone. To top it all off, I used PayPal on my phone and everything was done. Uber is really on to something. Now, they're being accused of encroaching on TTC territory because they're picking up people from a few downtown locations who have trouble getting to work because of crowded street cars.

[Meowmix]

Hello @jimboden

Honestly TTC should mainly focus on improving their transit instead of accusing others of things. TTC is great and all but many things aren't great either. Bus timing, u feel like a sardine in the street car, bus or subway, some bus drivers don't talk in a proper manner. Many things including price fair hike.

[jimboden]

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@Meowmix wrote:
Hello @jimboden

Honestly TTC should mainly focus on improving their transit instead of accusing others of things. TTC is great and all but many things aren't great either. Bus timing, u feel like a sardine in the street car, bus or subway, some bus drivers don't talk in a proper manner. Many things including price fair hike.

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@Meowmix

Agreed. The TTC has enough on its plate without worrying about Uber. They can't even get Bombardier to deliver new street cars on time, so now they've launched a lawsuit against them. Good luck with that, I say. Just watch for a steady increase in fares.