Ottawa ride-sharing companies agree to hike accessibility fee to 10 cents per ride
Ride-sharing companies have agreed to pay more for an accessibility fee to the city of Ottawa, but it's not the 30 cents a ride charge Council was hoping for.
A report for the Community and Protective Services Committee shows the private transportation companies licensed in Ottawa have increased the Voluntary Per-Trip Surcharge to 10 cents a ride, from seven cents a ride.
Councillors were informed this week that the new 10 cents a ride accessibility fee surcharge started in July 2020.
The city of Ottawa does not have the legislative authority to impose a mandatory accessibility levy on Private Transportation Companies operating in the capital. However, each licensed company agreed to a voluntary accessibility per-trip surcharge of seven cents when they launched.
In 2019, Council approved a strategy to use the funds from the voluntary surcharge for programs supporting accessible transportation. Council also directed staff to negotiate the accessibility surcharge with Private Transportation Companies to increase to 30 cents a ride, inline with a report from KPMG.
Staff say they were only able to negotiate a three cent a ride increase in the fee.
"Following extensive discussions with the Private Transportation Companies licensed in Ottawa, an increased Voluntary Per-Trip surcharge of $0.10 took effect on July 1, 2020," said Anthony Di Monte, Ottawa's general manager of emergency and protective services.
Uber, Lyft and Facedrive all operate in Ottawa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.