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Susan Jones, general manager of emergency and protective services at the City of Ottawa, said the company has not been awarded the licences it needs to begin operating in the nation’s capital.

“There is nothing illegal about registering drivers and determining interest,” said Jones. “At the end of the day, they are still required to comply with bylaw. If they are going to operate this type of a service and dispatch out fares, they require a broker’s licence, and any driver working for them must have a City of Ottawa taxi cab licence, as well as used a vehicle that is determined to be a City of Ottawa licensed taxi cab”.

Jones said that if Uber pushes forward with its plans, it could be subject of a blitz by bylaw officers, and if it’s repeatedly found to be breaking bylaws, other legal avenues could be pursed, including having court orders issued to explicitly bar the service in the city.

In the meantime, Uber is moving ahead and registering drivers for a potential Ottawa roll out even if the legality of its services is questionable. The company has alerted drivers interested in taking part in the service and has invited them to register with Uber from Wednesday through Friday at a hotel downtown. Interested individuals, who would have registered for information updates on the company’s website, have been told to bring their driver’s licence, vehicle registration, a picture of their car, proof of insurance, and background check to the registration. From there they will be given their Uber device, which allows the company to track them and send them requests from fares nearby. Fares are based on time and distance.