Toronto charges over 70 UberX drivers in crackdown

Toronto's head of municipal licensing and standards wasn't blowing smoke when she promised a crackdown on UberX drivers last week. So far, over 70 charges have been laid, which include failure to submit a vehicle to the licensing approval and operation of an unlicensed limousine.

It will be curious to see what kind of deterrent, if any, a crackdown like this represents. While the Globe reports that fines range from $300 to $500 for these offences, according to this Reddit thread, Uber is taking a rather proactive stance when it comes to protecting its drivers.

It's also unclear how these charges will hold up in court, as some of the charges against UberX drivers nabbed in a crackdown earlier this year have been dropped. The remaining charges against those drivers have yet to be ruled upon, so while officers can continue to bust the drivers, the effectiveness of a crackdown remains up in the air.

But, hey, at least they're not issuing $20,000 fines to passengers, which Councillor Jim Karygiannis threatened earlier today. What do you think? Is the city making the right move in initiating this crackdown? Should someone tell Karygiannis to settle down?

Correction: The title of this article erroneously states that over 70 UberX drivers have been charged, when in fact that number refers to the total number of charges. Only 36 drivers have been charged so far.