Calgary councillor proposing cap on licences for ride-share drivers

A Calgary city councillor will be asking the city to consider a cap on ride-share drivers in an effort to level the playing field in the industry.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says he wants a cap on licenses for drivers on ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft and wants a review of the entire industry.

“What I want to call it is a holistic review of the situation and look at the per capita, look at the population growth and what is happening,” he says.

While a fixed limit already exists on taxi licences, the same cannot be said for ride-share companies.

Dhaliwal says there were more than 16,000 ride-hailing driver licences in the city last year. Comparatively, there are about 1,800 licenced taxi drivers.

He says another important reason for a review is to ensure the current configuration meets the needs of Calgarians and considers the impact of the industry when it comes to emissions.

He says he’s head concerns from both sides and hopes a more level playing field and analysis of the industry will improve things so everyone involved can make a living.

“All I’m asking for administration to do is have a review, talk to the people who are in this industry and get them engaged,” he says. “Once you hear them, bring answers and provide them solutions so we can make this industry a robust industry for all to make a good living.”

“How can we help this entire industry?”

If his motion is approved at an executive committee this week, council will vote on the notice of motion in June.

Uber filed a complaint against the City of Calgary earlier this year after council voted to force ride-share companies to share trip data with city.