Calgary’s Taxi and Limousine Advisory Committee held a special meeting on Tuesday morning to try and find a compromise to allow Uber’s ride sharing service to legally operate in Calgary.

Dozens of taxi drivers expressed their concern and say companies like Uber are stealing their business and putting passengers at risk.

Uber started operating in Calgary last month and the city responded by issuing tickets to drivers to enforce the current bylaw.

“Based on the legislation that we are accountable for, the Livery Transport Bylaw, this service provider is in non-compliance so there have been a number of tickets issued and we’re pleased to say that that part of the process, although undesirable, is well on track and is making a meaningful difference out there,” said Marc Halat, Manager of Compliance Services with the City of Calgary. “As long as an operator is operating non-compliant, whether it’s a TNC or bandit taxi, we have an obligation to enforce that bylaw and we will.”

Five options were presented to the committee to consider, including continuing to ban Uber and deregulating the taxi industry all together.

The committee decided to take a middle of the road option and recommended council allow companies like Uber to operate as long as the drivers are regulated through the city.

“I think we had unanimous support on moving on option three, there’s some significant concern that came forward and the same concern that we have had since the very beginning of all of this and that is that we address the safety component and option three, in our opinion, will provide for council the ability to direct us to go back and develop the legislation to support a collaborative and constructive, meaningful transportation presence of both,” said Halat.

Several ideas were presented at the meeting including a request for city council to release all the taxi licences that were approved last year into the system so that cab companies can increase supply and be more competitive.

The taxi industry admits that ridesharing companies like Uber are a reality and it wants to ensure that everyone is on a level playing field and rates and services are regulated equally.

“It has to be fair for both sides. We don’t mind competing with anybody but it has to be the same rules. Is the same thing as the insurance, we have to have commercial insurance, they should have to do the same thing. We have to get a city licence, it should be the same thing. The GST, I mean, we’re forced to charge GST and they’re not charging GST,” said Roger Richard from Associated Cab.

“There’s going to be some significant changes in terms of rate setting, that kind of thing, so if council supports the directive going forward to come back with a bylaw, you’ll see changes with rates, you’ll see changes with probably with plate distribution and licence distribution and again, the emphasis on managing a safe, transportation network with a competitiveness that meets both sides of the operation,” said Halat.

The committee will take the five options to council for consideration on November 16, 2015.

If you are an Uber driver and received a ticket from the City of Calgary? We would like to hear from you. Send your story to us HERE.

Users can sign up for Uber by downloading the app for iPhone, Android, and Windows phones.