Let’s hope that when the city develops its plan for a special business licence for Uber that we don’t apply old, out dated business rules to a new Internet-based, sharing-economy company.
As any Gen Y (18- to 28-year-olds) will tell you it is almost impossible to get a Edmonton cab to drive a fare to St. Albert on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. We need Uber, we don’t have enough cabs in St. Albert, Edmonton cabs won't ready serve St. Albert, Uber allows better usage of personal cars that would otherwise sit unused, Uber reduces to number of personal vehicles being driven and reduces the need for parking spots.
Are all Internet-based businesses “licensed” in St. Albert just because they provided a service in St. Albert or compete with businesses based here? If I buy shoes or clothes or eye glasses or do my banking or take a course or read the news or do just about anything online it’s one less customer for a local business in St. Albert. If I call a tow truck from Edmonton to take my car to the dealership in Edmonton is the tow truck company licensed in St Albert? If I order take out from a restaurant in Edmonton and the food is delivered to St Albert is the restaurant licensed in St. Albert?
As for fears about Ubers surge pricing we are all used to paying for faster service, if you don't want to pay the surge price just wait for a regular cab, if we want a package delivered over night we pay five or six times more versus waiting for regular mail, if we want to see a movie right away we pay way more than waiting for it to come out on TV.
I’m not saying Uber shouldn’t be licensed in some simple form, this is an opportunity for St. Albert to demonstrate innovative leadership in applying a “new generation,” “smart city” way of thinking to licensing this new type of business.
Mike Killick, St. Albert
