Uber drivers won’t need to file background checks with Oakville

“Oakville licenses the company (Uber, Lyft) and not the individual drivers”

Ride hail drivers including Uber and Lyft are not being required to file a police background check under Oakville’s new business licensing system. Taxi drivers will continue to file their background checks with Oakville.

Uber and Lyft drivers were not required to file with the municipality under the previous system, however, industry members are mystified over Oakville’s choice not to update its requirements, and to require background checks of licensed Taxi drivers but not Uber or Lyft drivers who are providing the same service.

“It makes no sense,” says Marc André Way, president of the Canadian Taxi Association. “It seems kind of crazy, to be truthful, given the situations we’ve seen in recent years.”

At the January 26 Council Oakville council meeting at which the 600 page business licensing proposal was presented, staff admitted that although Halton Regional Police were copied on the proposed new plan, no response was ever received. Staff committed to reach out to police again in the months ahead.

“Currently, the Transportation Network Companies (TNC) licence does not sit within the Licensing By-law,” Oakville Enforcement staffperson Jesika replied to an inquiry from Taxi News on January 27.

“Although a licence is required, the requirements for this licence class fall under our TNC bylaw. The new licensing by-law will look to include the TNC section, eliminating the stand-alone bylaw, but none of the requirements have changed. 

“To clarify, Oakville licenses the company (ex. Uber, Lyft) and not the individual drivers. The company itself does not require a criminal record check (CRC) to apply for the licence. However, we do require that the company, as part of their licence agreement, confirm that all drivers have provided the company with a CRC and that it complies with the licensing thresholds named in the new bylaw. These thresholds cover instances like sexual offences, terrorism, assault, trafficking, firearms, theft etc, along with driving issues like high demerit points and DUIs.”