The president of an association representing Toronto taxi drivers says ride-hailing service Uber should be regulated by the same bylaws as cab companies, despite of a new city report that says otherwise.
Sajid Mughal, president of the iTaxiworkers Association, made his comments Wednesday after city staff released the report, which reviewed Toronto's ground transportation industry, including taxis, limos and Uber.
Ride-hailing app Uber has cut into the taxi business since its debut in Toronto in 2014. Its success led Toronto to launch its wide-ranging review in July.
Recommendations in the report included lowering the base taxi fare by $1 and initiating a review of current taxicab regulations in an effort to make them more lenient.
Mughal says the price cut is a good idea, but he's quick to add that "just lowering the price is not going to save the industry."
He says regulating Uber under the same bylaws as taxi companies will create a level playing field, whereas changes the city suggested would continue to give Uber an "unfair advantage".
Unlike cab fares, Uber's prices are not regulated by bylaws. Toronto cabs currently have a base fare of $4.25, with an additional charge of $0.25 for each additional 0.143 km (which is about $1.75 per km) and an additional $0.25 for every 29 seconds of waiting time.
Uber, on the other hand, has a base fare of $2.50 with an additional $0.18 per minute and $0.80 per km.
The city report suggested a new classification for Uber and other ride-hailing apps like Lyft, which would regulate them as "Transportation Network Companies" that provide a "private vehicle for-hire" service.
The report didn't mention regulating the companies' prices.
In a written statement, Uber representative Xavier Van Chau praised the report, saying it demonstrates "thoughtful leadership" from city staff.
He said that given Uber's scale — it offered more than 4 million rides in Toronto in the last year alone, he said — the company recognizes the need to be regulated.
"Uber is fully committed to work in partnership with the city in helping adopt and implement ridesharing regulations," the statement reads.
The report will be presented to the Licensing and Standards Committee next week, and city council will consider it at the end of the month.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.