Uber arrives in the Region

August 11, 2015, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Uber calls itself a ride sharing services, but really it is a taxi service. There is no sharing – there is a driver and a customer who pays for the lift. Uber has arrived in the Region of Waterloo and is stirring up things with the existing cab companies.

Uber is a phone app that allows anyone to provide rides for hire, and here in the Region there are about 100 drivers at the moment. The licenced taxis in the Region only number about 300, with 659 drivers. Local taxi companies have responded to the Uber invasion with an app of their own which allows people to hail, track and pay for their rides via their phones.

If you are considering using Uber rather than a traditional service you should consider that they are NOT licenced, the cars may not be safe, the drivers are not registered nor have they undergone special training for cultural sensitivity, and may not have up to date security checks. Insurance also could be problematic.

Uber is currently an illegal service in the Region of Waterloo as they contravene the taxi by-laws.

About Deutschmann de Koning Law

Deutschmann de Koning Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann and Nick de Koning focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.ddinjurylaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.