WATERLOO REGION — Region of Waterloo licensing officials are cautious of the ride service app Uber after a series of sex charges and other infractions levied against local taxi drivers.

Angelo Apfelbaum, manager of licensing and enforcement, said the region has its hands full regulating taxi drivers. He worries about how the unregulated Uber service would impact public safety.

"Knowing the issues that were at hand … to think that the region could have this unlicensed industry running, this subculture running, we have no way to protect people," he said.

Apfelbaum was referring to six local taxi drivers charged with sex assault since February 2013 and repeated speeding and other taxi driver infractions.

Of the six drivers who faced sex charges, one driver was convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail earlier this month. Two were acquitted, one agreed to a peace bond and charges were dismissed; and a fifth is still before the courts. The sixth was charged in September.

"We can't prevent that in an industry we regulate 100 per cent. … My fear is the unregulated side we have no control at all," Apfelbaum said.

Uber allows anyone to offer rides-for-hire in their personal vehicle and allows people to book, track and pay for a ride with their smartphone.

There have been a few calls to the regional licensing office asking that Uber be allowed to operate here.

As far as the region is concerned, Uber is a taxi service and would have to adhere to regulations in the region's taxi bylaw, which includes criminal record checks and other regulation of drivers and their vehicles.

Uber argues it's a tech company.

Lauren Altmin, Uber spokesperson, said the company is exploring expansion in a number of cities across Canada, but could not speak specifically to Waterloo Region.

Uber operates in about 100 cities worldwide, after getting its start in 2009. It's seeing some resistance. The City of Toronto last month went to court seeking an injunction to crack down on Uber. The issue is not yet resolved.

Pete Neufeld, president of the Waterloo Region Taxi Association, echoed Apfelbaum's concerns about public protection.

"This could be your neighbour with dubious driving skills pulling up to pick you up and you're going to go: 'Wow, I have to drive with this guy? He scares me every time he drives by my house,'" Neufeld said.

Regional Coun. Geoff Lorentz, chair of the region's licensing and retail committee, said while the region is touted as an innovative, tech community, he isn't sold on Uber.

"I don't think anybody's saying we don't want it here, but no one's approached us to say they're going to implement it and what do they have to do to make it work for us," Lorentz said.

Apfelbaum agreed that if Uber wanted to operate here, the only way to do so legally would be to put a business case before the licensing committee with no guarantee of approval.

The region regulates the local taxi industry with the power to give and take licences. The number of licences available is set by the region and all of them are currently divided up between five local cab companies.

Because Uber drivers set their own fares, Neufeld said he's heard comments the service is healthy competition.

"I don't think it's healthy competition," he said. "If they followed the rules and did everything that's required of us, then it would be considered healthy competition."

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Apfelbaum said he can understand if some residents have lost faith in the local taxi industry, but he doesn't think Uber is the answer.

"I think we're trying to put that faith back," he said. "We've done what we can and we're improving each time.

"The parallel is you think you don't have faith in an industry that's regulated, but you put faith in an industry that's not regulated?"

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