City council has opened the regulatory door to Uber.

After a lengthy Tuesday debate that left one conflicted politician in tears, London council voted 10-5 to have staff report back on ways to potentially regulate the e-hail apps that have upended traditional taxis.

Uber, to be clear, is still a bylaw-busting firm whose local drivers will face stiff fines if caught — but politicians have taken a step toward opening the complex taxi bylaw to cover them.

“Doing nothing and hoping Uber goes away is not going to help London,” Deputy Mayor Maureen Cassidy said. “This is about consumer protection and safety.”

So, in a rebuke of city staff’s recommendation, council has directed them to study opening up the regulations to create a new category: “transportation network companies” (TNCs).

That option could provide at least some regulation over e-hail firms like Uber — whose drivers as of now are operating illegal “bandit cabs” that raise safety and consumer-protection concerns.

The TNC option was pushed by Coun. Jesse Helmer. It follows the lead of Toronto city hall, which, after battling Uber for about three years, may soon take the same step.

Part of the motion notes regulation here would only be possible if Uber drivers have insurance, and there’s no guarantee they’ll ever be able to get it. That prompted some to vote against it.

“It’s doomed to fail at this point,” Coun. Tanya Park said.

Uber is a California-based tech firm whose digital app matches people needing rides with drivers who, in their personal vehicles, will pick them up for a fee.

Critics, including city hall’s bylaw officers, say it undermines traditional taxi regulations that protect consumers and ensure safety. Uber believes it isn’t a dispatcher, and therefore needs different regulations.

The TNC option is a clear one — but that doesn’t make it an easy choice.

As the debate played out before a gallery packed with taxi drivers, Coun. Mo Salih noted he knows many of them as fellow members of the local Muslim community.

Salih declared his support for looking into TNC regulations of Uber, a move that will harm traditional taxi owners. He almost started weeping as he sat down.

Mayor Matt Brown called the decision unavoidable.

“This is not going away,” he said. “Without this additional information, we’re looking at the status quo, and that’s not something we can expect moving forward.”

patrick.maloney@sunmedia.ca

THE VOTE

Coun. Jesse Helmer’s motion to have city staff study possibly regulating e-hail apps like Uber was passed 10-5 by city council Tuesday:

YES: Helmer, Michael van Holst, Mo Salih, Maureen Cassidy, Josh Morgan, Virginia Ridley, Stephen Turner, Harold Usher, Jared Zaifman, Matt Brown

NO: Bill Armstrong, Phil Squire, Paul Hubert, Anna Hopkins, Tanya Park