Taxi trade group goes on the offensive against Uber

Uber is a technology company (not a taxi/car service company), and a very great one in fact. Its a natural reaction from existing companies in any industry to do what they can to create barriers for the competition. Thats all this is. Its a tactic powered by fear. And rightfully so, Uber is awesome. No wonder they're worried.

i LOVE Uber and will never get into a stinky broken ass taxi again they are in every single city i travel to, the drivers are courteuos and not on thier phones blabbing to who knows where for the whole ride and dont stink like the average taxi driver......

I've never used UBER before, but this is a classic case of the big guys bullying the small guys. I think that it's a great thing for consumers that we have more options. Leave it up to us to decide which companies succeed. This is what we call "Free Market Competition"

I use Uber every week and it is an amazing experience (both for black cars and taxi's). Uber is letting taxi drivers earn supplemental income that traditional dispatchers aren't able to provide. No organization should inhibit a drivers ability to earn extra money in a free market country like Canada - so long as the service is safe, which it is..

Please print the uber passenger contract if you want a fair ansewer. They don't want to take responsibility but take a big fee

They are backed by Goldman Sachs , so who is the bully not following the rule of law

I haven't used this yet, but I'm definitely open to it. Especially since you still have to ask any cab you get into in Toronto whether you can pay by credit card, and in a lot of cases, you can't.

"Uber is the best thing to happen to the transportation industry since the invention of the automobile."

Wow, no hyperbole in this sentence! Nope, none at all. Not one little drop. Not even a little hint of it!

Well, let's see Uber doesn't have a license to operate. they charge more than the regulated meter rate, have a cursory check of driver licensing, absolve themselves of all responsibility if something were to happen on the customer sign up. They use surge pricing and can charge whatever the heck they want google Uber pricing New York City on New Years Eve. Uber's model has been in your face and to hell with the regulations which were put in place to safeguard the riding public with licensed drivers, inspected vehicles and commeercial insurance which covers the passenger. But, Uber is only a tech company. Let's see how that works when your driver is unlicensed or the car is a rolling death trap. But my partner told me he was licensed and would never give a car to his brother in law. Heck, just take the phone and I'll drive my private car to pick up the passenger. Good Luck with that. Uber's is simply flaunting regulation and beware to their passengers.

So much BS. Uber is a great service. The taxi industry can shove it. Their drivers are the ones that are reckless, rude, unsafe, unprofessional and CREATE the need for services like Uber.

It's like owning a deli that makes disgusting sandwiches and being upset at a rival deli that makes good sandwiches. Make better sandwiches or STFU and concede to losing your market.

I still have a taxi account for clients with one of the mainstream companies however I will always take an Uber instead. I recently sent a group in a cab and I followed in an Uber 10 minutes later and ended up cheaper than the dirty cabbie who took a scenic route. I love Uber. Maybe cabbies should clean their cars, have a shower and provide personable service then maybe customers will come back.

Sorry TOJACK but I've yet to take a cab in this city that wasn't driven by a reckless driver. They talk on cell phones, take round about routes as if I didn't know the city, and once I had to call the police and demand the driver let me out early because he was playing chicken with another car! Unbelievable...

The taxi companies in this city are horrendous. I lived in Ottawa for fifteen years and never once had a problem. My first cab ride here the driver tried to rip me off and claimed he didn't have change for a $20!

I've never used Uber, and so I can't comment on the service. However any competition that eliminates the shitty taxi service we have in Toronto is alright by me!

@Jenn. Cool. Nice to see an honest statement. I totally get your genuine frustration with taxis in Toronto. My experience hasn't been amazing by any stretch - but not quite as bad as yours.

Our cabs are crappy compared to other cities. Innovation is coming and it is a good thing.

People are upset about not being able to pay by credit card in a cab? It's a CAB! What did you expect? It's bad enough people pay for pizza orders by credit card (that still astounds me when a takeout place asks if I'll be paying by cash or credit), but paying for a cab with one? The fees they have to pay for that will undoubtedly come out of their pocket, so you better give them a huge tip to cover it. Plus they would have to pull together enough money to buy a wireless credit card machine in the first place. Geez people, try having some personal responsibility and being prepared for stuff, instead of expecting the entire world to conform to you. If it's an emergency and you don't have any cash and you need a cab then I don't see what the big deal is with paying extra to get the cabbie to drop you off at an ATM along the way to get some cash.

Once again Über's staffers are posing as faithful Über clients and are making veiled racist comments about "dirty" cabbies. Facts. These "apps" are illegal taxi services. Regulations for taxis exist for good reason, for all the problems consumers have had with taxi services imagine how much worse they would be without regulation. Taxi companies want innovation. The technology Über waves around as innovative is actually old and has been used by many can companies for longer than the iPhone has existed. Über and others like it could have legally entered the market, I know for certain that the industry reached out to Über before they even launched. These "apps" are flooding the streets with gas guzzling sedans and SUV's that are undermining the move by taxi companies to hybrid and alt fuel vehicles that has been made in major cities across America. In the case of San Francisco, taxi companies are required to maintain $1 million dollar liability policy and to provide workers compensation insurance to their drivers. These illegal services are simply skirting the laws. They are no different than any other corporation that chooses to ignore the laws and policies applicable to them. Imagine if an oil company simply built a refinery wherever they chose and flipped a middle finger to the regulators. Would that be ok if it meant more gas at lower prices? Of course not. These corporate thugs need to follow the rules and the consumer needs to beware. Check out Über's limitation of liability,https://www.uber.com/legal/terms. So much for accountability...

what's funny is all these negative comments about cabs are being waved off as being UBER plants or "racist"...when the reality is CABBIES IN TORONTO SUCK.

This is coming from someone who lives and works downtown (nightclubs) and use(d) them WAY too often. Both personally and professionally when we try to get ppl home safely at night.

I wish UBER was around when cabbies were trying to fight doormen, blocking streets as if it's their right or REFUSING fares in the middle of blizzards...and doing it with impunity.

fuck cabs. I've gone back to the TTC (that's saying something!!!) and UBER when I need to get somewhere fast.

I find this similar to the restaurant vs food truck argument.

Sure people buying food from a food truck are paying a premium for for a sandwich, taco, etc, but it's people that have the means and are willing to pay that enjoy the service.

Uber simply isnt for everyone, in the same way that the $50 bottle of wine doesnt cater to your $2 can of beer target.

It seems like the people posting positive comments about the service are okay with paying a little more for an easy transaction, and being able to track a car's location. We all pay a little extra for the things we really like, so why the hate?

The fact that the TLPA thinks their drivers are all that great makes me wonder if they've ever sat in a Toronto cab before. Sure there are some awesome drivers that are courteous, knowledgeable, and fair. But it's the ones that are not that you remember the most, holding on to dear life, having to provide directions to well known intersections, asking to take detours instead of driving straight into traffic, arguing for fare gauging, and yes...even at times having to open a window to deal with the odour (when you sit in a car for 12 hours it will get a little tough).

So if you dont like the service, dont use it.

And no I dont work for Uber. I just have the disadvantage of having common sense.

As with every blog post that mentions Uber, this thread has the foul smell of astroturf all over it.

Can someone explain why it is that uber somehow always seems to provide cleaner, more honest drivers? (that is if all these posts aren't shills) I can understand a technology company making it more convenient to find a cab using a smart phone, but I don't understand how this enables them to provide better service once the user is in the vehicle.

Personally, I rarely take cabs and have never used uber.

Like it or not, Uber is the way forward. Took a few free cab rides already this week and spoke with each driver who unanimously said they were nothing but happy with the service. The cab companies have been screwing them for so long, it is about time technology came to their rescue.

I also used the promocode: UBERTDOT for a free $10 in rides after the free promo is done!

Free cab deal extended to Friday! Seems like people are enjoying the service.

uber.com/invite/uberTorontoDeal