Brampton city council jumped into the Uber fray on Wednesday as they called on Uber to suspend some services and requested staff step up enforcement against unlicensed drivers.

But with no plans to challenge Uber in court, Brampton’s politicians may now find themselves in the middle of a tug-of-war that has seized Toronto and other major cities across the country.

In their first formal move against Uber, the 11-member council voted unanimously to request the company suspend UberX operations “in a show of good faith” while city staff review the regulations governing taxis and limousines. But that motion is not binding on Uber, which has largely refused to suspend operations in other cities, including Toronto.

Uber Canada gave no assurances they plan to comply with council's request. When asked directly if they would, Uber Canada spokesperson Susie Heath said they “look forward to continuing our work with officials in Brampton to modernize regulations to encourage innovation, put people first and create safe, reliable and affordable transportation options.”

While Uber has disrupted taxi markets around the world by letting users connect to licensed cabs through a mobile phone app, it more controversially also offers rides in unlicensed cars at a discount through UberX.

The successful motion from Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon asked city staff to pursue “any enforcement measure allowed” if they continue to operate calling it a “public safety concern.” Council also asked staff to look at increasing the minimum penalty for bylaw infractions from $500 to $5,000.

At issue, the motion said, is a lack of training, police background checks and vehicle inspections.

“This is a victory for the residents of Brampton,” Dhillon said in a statement which did not explain Uber is not forced to comply. “This decision is a good first step to guarantee the public’s safety and security, while maintaining fairness — that is our priority right now.”

Mayor Linda Jeffrey said there is a “willingness” from Uber to work together to create a “fair and level playing field” — echoing sentiments from Toronto Mayor John Tory about creating revised regulations.

“I think what we’ve asked for is pause,” she told the Star. “We’re obviously concerned with public safety.”

Last month, Jeffrey wrote a letter to taxi industry officials saying unlicensed “ride sharing” services are “unfair” to taxpayers, the Brampton Guardian reported.

When asked whether she’s under pressure from the industry to act against Uber, Jeffrey said the focus is on protecting residents while acknowledging there is a “livelihood issue” for drivers.

Jeffrey would not comment on whether the city would be prepared to challenge Uber in court if they do not suspend UberX services.

Marcel Wieder, spokesperson for the Peel Taxi Alliance, said they have been discussing regulations for months with city staff and are “pleased” council passed the motion unanimously.

“We hope that Uber and other ride-sharing services respond positively to what Brampton council has asked,” he said.

In Toronto, where staff are actively working on new regulations, due in April, to cover UberX, the city says that service continues to operate illegally.

The number of charges against UberX drivers and vehicle owners in Toronto now totals 154, the city’s licensing division said Wednesday. Since council voted to update its bylaw related to licensed cabs last fall, there have also been 342 charges against Uber’s various corporate entities.

That hasn’t stopped Uber from promoting their efforts locally, including launching new services like UberPOOL which allows reduced fares from carpooling with other users matched through the app.

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Last month Edmonton became the first Canadian city to regulate Uber, establishing separate categories and rules for taxis and “private transportation providers.” Uber welcomed the bylaw and is seeking provincially approved insurance to comply with it.

In Calgary, Uber originally agreed to suspend operations after the city sought a temporary injunction. The company and council later agreed to consult on the new regulations. But when the city passed a bylaw similar to Edmonton’s at council last week, Uber rejected the rules, saying its fees and rules for UberX drivers break the firm’s business model. Uber has said they will not operate in Calgary.

With files from David Rider

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