Uber launches service in Niagara

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Residents in Niagara region will now be able to get around using Uber.

The ride-sharing service is launching in Niagara, Kingston and Windsor, joining more than 40 communities in ontario where Uber is already available. Uber-X is the base level of Uber service where drivers are provincially licensed and use their own personal vehicles to give their people a ride.

Company officials say the first two rides will be free for new riders until Sunday.

MPP Tim Hudak took the first Uber ride in Niagara Falls this morning. He wants provincial laws to recognize ride-sharing services as part of a new economy, where people can earn extra money, while giving consumers more choice. “I brought forward my own legislation and it’s called Opportunity in the Sharing Economy. It really is about empowering average people to make a few extra dollars with things you already own.”

“We already know here in Niagara it’s tough to get a new job. Pay is pretty stagnant and bills are going up, so it would legalize services like Uber, Air BnB which is home sharing, and things like Rover or Honk Mobile which is parking sharing so people can make a few extra dollars with things they already own.”

All Canadian drivers who partner with Uber must pass background checks that include both a national criminal record check of federal RCMP databases, and a drivers’ motor vehicle records screening.