A tech-savvy city worker could be Uber's next competitor in Ottawa's licensed ride-ordering market.



Neville Hewage created the oRide app as the city started looking into changing the licensing system that regulates the taxi industry. After a few years working on the technology, he submitted his application in December to the city for a private transportation company licence.



If approved, it would be only the second PTC licence issued by the City of Ottawa.



So how is a local ride-ordering outfit going to take on an international behemoth like Uber?



"We're not going to compete with Uber," Hewage said in an interview. "oRide is trying to build its own brand."



Hewage is sweetening the pot for people considering to drive for Uber. The oRide app will take 15 per cent of the fare, compared with the 25 per cent commission Uber takes from its drivers.



On the other hand, unlike Uber, customers who order a driver through the oRide app will pay a minimum fare of $8. Hewage said the oRide rates for long distances will be cheaper than Uber's.



oRide won't have surge pricing, which is a cornerstone of Uber's supply-and-demand model.



Hewage, 52, is a process supervisor with the city's drinking water services division. The programmer said he hopes to retire from the city in eight years with oRide providing a little financial cushion.



The city is reviewing oRide to see if it should be issued a PTC licence.



Hewage said he's still working on the ride-sharing insurance requirements to meet the city's bylaw. He has an insurance provider lined up and is waiting to sign a contract with the company.



The city launched its new regulatory system last Sept. 30, creating a licensing category for taxis and a category for PTCs. The rules are different for each category.



Uber has had a PTC licence since early October.



According to the city's bylaw department, Uber reported providing 1.4 million rides in the first three months of its licensed operations in Ottawa. The city says it conducts audits on the ride data and conducts field investigations.



While taxi companies must keep records of service requests, bylaw chief Roger Chapman said the city hasn't asked brokers for their statistics for the same three-month period.



"However, KPMG reported in the fall of 2015, as part of the taxi and limousine regulation and service review it undertook, that taxis provide about 12 million trips per year, which equates to three million trips in a three-month period," Chapman noted.



If that's the case, then Uber has potentially taken a massive bite out of the ride-ordering market in the capital.



Uber has about 3,000 people registered as drivers in Ottawa.



The competition for drivers and customers could become even more fierce when oRide receives its PTC licence.



Hewage said he has 362 people signed up to drive on the oRide platform. He has also partnered with the small local company City Cab to allow people to book those taxis if they prefer a traditional licensed cab over a private driver.



"Taxi drivers are technically far behind current market trends," Hewage said. "I hope other taxi companies will realize the market potential and join with the oRide platform."



jwilling@postmedia.com



twitter.com/JonathanWilling