Uber Statement on the Pilot Project Regulating Ridesharing in Quebec

MONTREAL, Oct. 31, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, General Manager for Uber Quebec, today made the following statement on the pilot project regulating Uber in the province: 

"First, we would like to thank all our driver partners, our riders and our supporters who, for the last three years, have continuously advocated on our behalf as we worked to obtain  regulations for ridesharing in Quebec.

By participating to this pilot project, our objective is to continue serving our riders and driver partners and to demonstrate that we can and want to operate within a regulatory framework. We will do so all while continuing to advocate for more innovative regulations that better serve the public interest.

We see this pilot project as an experience where we can work with the Government to study the impacts of these new rules.

Certainly, Class 4C requirements create a barrier to entry which - contrary to other jurisdictions in North America - prevents drivers such as  our deaf and hard-of-hearing partners  from offering safe rides thanks to our advanced technology that we put in place for their use. We will continue advocating for their right to generate flexible income on the Uber platform.

With this first step to regulate ridesharing behind us, we believe the conversation will now transition towards a discussion on the future of urban mobility - and what this means for our cities and citizens.

We wish to demonstrate how it is possible to reduce congestion, pollution and the need for land devoted to parking, while improving the accessibility of transportation by using private vehicles for public good.

We're already seeing attitudes to individual car ownership begin to change. Because when people are given an affordable, reliable alternative they're happy to take it. In America, 10% percent of Uber riders under 30 say that they've either given up their car or are no longer planning to buy one.

A better future is in reach. It's a future where people are sharing rides or taking public transit simply because it's a better option than to own a car."

About Uber Canada

Co-founded by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp in 2009, Uber is evolving the way the world moves. Present in over 40 communities in Canada, Uber has revolutionized transportation and offers more than 32,000 Canadian driver-partners a new way to earn income in their spare time by offering an affordable transportation alternative to hundreds of thousands of riders across the country. For more information, visit uber.com.

SOURCE Uber Canada Inc.

CONTACT: Jean-Christophe de le Rue, Senior Communications Associate, Uber Canada, T: 613-806-0671, E: jcdlr@uber.com