Edmonton city councillors have approved the bylaw to legalize Uber.
This is the first municipality in Canada to approve of the ride-sharing company. The bylaw requires proof of the company’s drivers to have the proper insurance and license class.
“We are going to be doing everything we can to make sure that we’re in compliance by March 1st,” said Ramit Kar, Uber’s general manager.
Uber has agreed to stop operating until the bylaw comes into effect, and will continue not to operate until their drivers have proper insurance. The California-based company is hoping to get provincially approved insurance before the deadline.
The approval of this bylaw allows for the city to crack down on drivers, who will soon face a $5000 fine if they choose to operate without proper licenses.
The council also agreed to a $3.25 minimum charge for rides that will be offered by Uber when operations start back up at the beginning of March.
UberX services have been operating in Edmonton since December 2014. This bylaw should create more pressure for Uber drivers to make sure they are complying with the law.
For more updates, check out Edmonton’s Uber Twitter page.
