Uber fully legalized in Edmonton, the first Canadian city to do so

Uber is now fully legal in Edmonton, the first Canadian city to approve the service. In an eight to four decision that was delayed due to in-chamber protests by taxi drivers, the municipality agreed to let UberX drivers operate legally in the city premises starting March 1st.

The minimum price will be $3.25, which is a dollar lower than its Toronto equivalent. The council considered setting limits on surge pricing — the act of raising the price based on taxi supply and customer demand — but chose to wait until a future date to make that decision. Councillors expressed concerns that Uber would take advantage of Edmonton’s prodigious snowfalls.

Under the ruling, all UberX drivers need to have proper insurance, and Uber as a company must work with the province’s superintendent of insurance to come up with an appropriate policy.

Certainly a precedent-setting action, police say they will begin fining UberX drivers that don’t have the proper commercial insurance starting March 1st. Other Canadian cities, such as Toronto, have committed to creating a comprehensive bylaw that covers both regular taxis and ride sharing services like UberX.

[source]CBC[/source][via]iPhone In Canada[/via]