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Canadian millennials would rather call up an Uber than a taxi, while older residents still prefer a cab, according to a new poll.

The Angus Reid Institute survey asked respondents what they preferred when it comes to ride sharing services.

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The poll finds 39 per cent of respondents would rather take a taxi than a ride-sharing service like Uber. That compares to only 29 per cent who would opt for an Uber.

However, when broken down by age group, the numbers in support of Uber jump significantly among the younger crowd. The poll shows nearly half of all millennials say they would rather open up their Uber app than call a cab.

For older age groups, the preference for taxis rises significantly, while the desire to use Uber drops. Among those aged 35 to 44, only 23 per cent have used Uber, and that number drops to only 14 per cent over 65.

Pollsters found that in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, residents are split between their preference for a cab or an Uber. And in Vancouver, where Uber still hasn’t been approved, slightly more (35 per cent) would prefer to call an Uber than a taxi (32 per cent.)

When it comes to regulating ride-hailing services, two-thirds of Canadians say that ride sharing apps need similar laws to taxi companies to ensure quality and safety standards.

Still, the survey found that half of Canadians (49 per cent) have a positive view of Uber , and 34 per cent say it “should definitely be allowed to operate” in their community.

With Uber and other ridesharing apps continuing to grow, a strong majority (78 per cent) say that it is up to traditional taxi companies to “step up their game” to meet the rising competition.

The online survey of 2,501 Canadian adults was conducted from Feb. 15 to Feb. 19, 2018. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

ticrawford@postmedia.com

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