Uber has had a tumultuous year in Canada, though things might be looking up as another province moves towards legalization.
According to a statement sent to MobileSyrup, the ride hailing company will continue to operate in Quebec under the conditions of a new pilot program.
Uber Quebec General Manager Jean-Nicolas Guillemette made the announcement early on Thursday morning, though he did not disclose details on the specific restrictions Quebec’s new regulations will force upon the company.
Guillemette said Uber is in the process of evaluating its ability to operate under the province’s new bylaws, though he made a point of saying the company remains committed to Quebec residents for a number of reasons.
The first of these is that Uber still wants to bring the benefits of ridesharing to Quebec, as well as offer residents the option to use their existing vehicle as a way to generate side income.
Secondly, Guillemette confirmed that Uber is ready to work within governmental regulations and be a partner in innovation. Over the past few months, the province of Quebec has been undergoing a restructuring of regulations surrounding transport-by-taxi services – Uber included.
This began with legislation passed earlier this year,which suggested the implementation of a pilot project, but delayed enactment by three months – until September 8 – to allow both sides to come to an agreement.
The taxi industry, however, was angered by the agreement; they’ve often protested Uber’s failure to abide by existing taxicab regulations.
Guillemette concluded that, “in the days to come, we’ll have more to say about how this pilot project impacts riders and drivers. For now, we want to thank all our supporters for all you’ve done over the past several months. We’ll see you on the road.”
[source]Uber Canada[/source]
