Many Halifax Uber drivers are trying to make their voices heard over possible licensing requirement changes.
Keerthana Rang, communications lead for Uber tells Acadia News over the weekend more than 100 reached out to their local councillor on the matter.
“The message seems to be the same. Halifax is creating unnecessary red tape for drivers,” says Rang. “This would be new duplicative requirements that’s only going to increase costs and slow onboarding for drivers.”
This follows an urge for action from the ridesharing company, Friday, before Council’s next meeting this week.
The motion was introduced last month that would put taxis and companies like Uber on an evening playing field when it comes to rates and regulations.
One change would require Uber drivers to pay $135 in new fees to for training and pass an exam to have a municipal license; something that would cost $100 every two years.
However, Rang says, Halifax already has one of the strongest rideshare frameworks in Canada.
“So, what we are seeing here in this new proposal is duplicative training, duplicative fees and exams,” adds Rang.
A concern, says Rang, is that Uber may not only lose drivers, but it will slow down the onboarding process, so rides will become less reliable for users.
“This is unnecessary cost when Uber already has a license for drivers in Halifax,” says Rang. “They’ve already done the background checks, which costs money. They’ve already done vehicle inspections which costs money. There’ll be a ripple effect for riders.”
Council meets Tuesday.
