Beware Ottawa Uber drivers. Your next fare could be caught on video.

A group of Ottawa taxi drivers have banded together to conduct “sting” operations in which they hire an Uber driver and record the entire ride from start to finish.

The idea is to help Ottawa By-law officers crack down on more Uber drivers by providing them with evidence.

“We took the evidence. We took their receipts. We took the plate numbers and the drivers and we send it to By-law,” says the group’s spokesperson, Roy Noja.

Noja says the group is currently made up of over 120 taxi drivers. They’ve started a YouTube channel under Ottawa Taxi Drivers.

It’s the latest step in the on-going battle between licenced cabbies and Uber. The question is, will the strategy work?

Philip Powell, Program Manager, Licensing, Permits and Markets with the City of Ottawa, said in a statement:

“Generally, the City of Ottawa does not recommend that citizens, for their own safety and protection, attempt to collect evidence to assist investigations. Rather, the City encourages citizens to report concerns or alleged by-law infractions on Ottawa.ca or by calling 3-1-1.”

But the statement did not indicate whether the City will make use of the videos.

One Ottawa lawyer says the taxi drivers aren’t doing anything wrong. Paul Lewandowski doesn’t consider the videos a form of entrapment or breach of privacy. And they could be used as evidence in court. “It's a heavy-handed approach,” says Lewandowski, “but obviously the other approaches haven't been working. I see it as being potentially effective. It'll deter other drivers because every single fare you take you're going to be wondering is it a legitimate fare or somebody who's trying to set me up?"

Uber Canada issued its own statement. “We believe that intimidation tactics such as these should give way instead to a constructive dialogue, focused on making available safer, more reliable and affordable transportation options to Ottawans,” says Uber spokesperson Susie Heath.

Undaunted, the taxi drivers plan to video more Uber drivers in the coming days.