Quebec to frame new taxi laws
After a long spineless shuffle by the PLQ, the CAQ has tabled a bill proposing an entirely new taxi law abolishing permits and allowing Uber and other ride-hailing systems to do business here legally. Taxi owners and drivers are not happy even though Quebec is promising compensation for the costs of their soon-to-be-obsolete permits.
Ephraim 09:00 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
Should go with annual permits, need some way to track them… because Taxi drivers are often “less than honest”
Faiz Imam 14:29 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
Don’t the already have a special drivers license on top of their medallions? That seems enough.
The key concern now is the potential introduction of surge pricing. It’ll mean greatly increased costs for a lot of users during prime hours.
I know drivers hated the regulated prices, but it was great for people, especially those with less income who needed to get around quickly.
Ephraim 17:34 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
Faiz – Ever tried to pay with a CC. The drivers make all kinds of excuses as to why they won’t take one. Taken a taxi from the airport to the fixed price zone? They will claim you are out of the area or that it’s $50 instead of the $41. Etc. Taxi drivers need someone looking over their shoulder. It’s not a trustworthy business.
DavidH 17:52 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
@Faiz, the taxi driver license (class 4C) doesn’t do anything for tracking. For one thing, it’s given to anyone that takes the exam for 4A, B or C. It’s the lowest license you can get if you drive anything around for a living. All bus drivers, machinery operators, police, ambulance or firefighter have the taxi license as well on top of theirs. Only a small proportion of 4C license holders actually drive a taxi.
The 4A exam is a theoretical one by the way, no driving involved. 20 minutes on a computer with multiple choices questions. It’s exactly the same one taken for an apprentice’s licence. The only difference is you must ace all the questions instead of simply getting a passing grade. I’m guessing 4C is a grade somewhere in between. You need to have held a class 5 license for a specific number of months prior as well. Otherwise, if you ask for it, they’ll give it to you. It’s nothing special.
I’ve had my 4ABC for over 20 years, no follow-up, no tracking. Even if they did track something, the SAAQ doesn’t regulate business practices so that would not do much.
JP 20:06 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
I take a fair number of taxis for work. We’re encouraged to pay by credit card (it helps for proof, if you lose the receipt). Maybe I’ve been lucky so far, but most drivers are pretty amenable to accepting a credit card from me. Occasionally you can tell they’d prefer cash, but I’ll mention it’s for work and we have to pay by credit.
My biggest complaint in Montreal is taxi drivers (whether at the train station or airport) giving me a blank stare when I give them my home address…they should be able to use GPS to figure it out. Instead, I always end up having to state the major intersection and directing them once they get there. Luckily, we’re going to my home, but if I were an out-of-towner or unfamiliar with the neighbourhood, how would that work?
I liked regulated prices too because I like predictability…we’ll see how things go with this new system.
Chris 20:13 on 2019-03-21 Permalink
Ephraim, if you think taxis aren’t a “trustworthy business”, I assume you don’t think much of Uber either. They have been involved in so much shady behaviour they make taxis look good.
Ephraim 07:57 on 2019-03-22 Permalink
Chris – Uber isn’t any better. It doesn’t tell the drivers that they need an F plate and doesn’t require a chauffer’s licence, so essentially you can’t deduct your fuel and car expenses, so essentially you are paying income tax on your fuel costs. (I’m sure people are deducting it, but if RQ catches you, you are toast! And then there is the whole insurance issue… the SAAQ might or might not need to cover you, because insurance is related to the driver’s licence and the car registration. And the pricing sometimes is entirely arbitrary… you open the app three minutes later and the price may be different. And of course, the driver’s have no control over what they get paid for their time… they have reduced their rates a number of times.
Chris 09:13 on 2019-03-22 Permalink
Ephraim, I’m talking more about:
Uber employees ordering Lyft rides then cancelling at last minute
using custom software (Greyball) to block regulators from booking rides
“God view” to track user’s locations
running self-driving cars without permits
false advertising about how much drivers are likely to earn (got fined on that one)
program “Hell” to spy on Lyft and find drivers working for both
etc etc etc
Ephraim 21:36 on 2019-03-22 Permalink
Chris – Most of these new “sharing economy” businesses, or disruptors if you prefer have done some pretty horrible things, not just to each other, but to society in general. They avoid taxes, insurance and the welfare of individuals. Many Uber “contractors” are little more than employees earning less than minimum wage and not informed enough to realize the tax consequences or liability consequences of their actions. And by avoiding taxes, cost the rest of us money. They hide as “sharing economy”, when they are just tax evasion.