Article content continued

Prices are up to 30 per cent cheaper than a taxi fare, and fares are paid via credit card on file. Rides can’t be pre-booked or hailed like a taxi, but they can be tracked by GPS, and the driver’s name, photo and licence number are available to riders.

The city remains concerned about vehicle inspections, driver background checks and inadequate insurance coverage.

In July, the province’s superintendent of insurance warned the type of insurance Uber drivers would need didn’t exist in Alberta and urged the industry to introduce such policies soon.

Drivers found in violation of the city’s livery bylaws could face fines totalling $4,500. The city says it won’t fine passengers using the service.

Photo by Crystal Schick / Calgary Herald

Halat said the city would continue to consult with the company as administration works to draft new bylaws that allow for new market entrants to participate in Calgary’s livery industry.

The city would not reveal how many violations were being processed over concerns releasing those details could jeopardize its ongoing crackdown.

In Edmonton, licence suspensions handed out to six Uber drivers caught in a sting operation were overturned earlier this month by a city appeal committee.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on in this covert operation,” said Halat.

“I want to make sure that we do have the adequate evidence to uphold accountability (and) that our enforcement is meaningful so that those affected have a clear understanding of what’s at risk,” he said.