Taxi companies say their regulations are more strict than those for companies like Lyft and Uber, and have led to an uneven playing field.

The capital's taxi companies have taken a hit to their business and are having trouble retaining drivers, three years after Uber arrived in Ottawa.

The city established a separate but similar category for companies like Uber and Lyft, in 2016, but taxi companies say their regulations are more strict and have led to an uneven playing field.

"It's really not fair competition," said Marc-Andre Way, chief operating officer, Coventry Connections. "So this whole notion that they took the handcuffs off our industry is not necessarily true."

Way points to difference in insurance requirements -- his drivers must carry commercial insurance, which he says is more difficult to obtain -- and says he no flexibility in pricing during times of high or low demand.

"They (Uber) can surcharge during peak times; we cannot," Way told The Rick Gibbons Show on 1310 NEWS. "Our meters are regulated by the city; everything is regulated by the city."

Way also says his company has lost drivers since Uber's arrival, and is having trouble recruiting new ones.

The city is reviewing its vehicle-for-hire by-law this year, and Way hopes the city will consider the plight of taxis.