Ottawa police investigate alleged taxi vs. Uber video

WARNING: The video abovecontains profanity.

A video circulating online that claims to show an Ottawa taxi driver threatening an Uber driver and passenger is now the subject of a police investigation.

AChateau Laurierspokespersonconfirmed the hotel handed over security footage taken around 1:30 a.m. ET Saturday that "may have beenrelated" to the video.The video, whichappears to have been taken from inside a vehicle,shows a man shouting at the driver.

"If I see you again, you're dead meat. Go follow the law and get a real job. I'm not joking with you," the man tells the driver before holding open the backdoor and shouting at the passenger.

"Take a real taxi you f---ing cheapskate," he said.Both sides threaten to call police in the profane exchange recorded for one minute and 21 seconds.

Sgt. Fred St. Pierre said Ottawa police launched an investigation after a third party brought the video to their attention.

"We don't have a complainant. That's the issue," he said.

Although the name of an Ottawa taxi driver has been sharedon social media in connection withthe confrontation, St. Pierre said police have not yetidentified anyone involved in the video.

Uber Canada issued a written statement in French to Radio-Canadaon Sunday afternoon, calling for an end to intimidation tactics in favour of a constructive dialogue.

Taxi bylaw review underway

This is the latest video in an ongoing dispute that pits Ottawa taxi drivers againstUberdrivers, whooperate without requiredlicences.

• Ottawa taxi drivers release 2nd video targeting Uber
• Uber blitzafter taxi drivers release vigilante-style video

This summer, agroup of taxi drivers went undercover asUberpassengers and posted vigilante-style videos of the rides online in an attempt to collect evidence.

Ottawa police and bylaw officers have laid dozens of charges against Uber drivers, resulting so far in more than $20,000 in fines, since the service launched in Ottawa in October 2014. Authorities, along with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, have called on taxi drivers to leave the collection of evidence to them.

Watson comparedtaxi drivers secretly filming Uber drivers to thugs earlier this summer.

After the latest video began circulating onlineSaturday, Watson tweeted that he fast-tracked the taxi bylaw review, which started last week.

"These cabbies are hurting the reputation of all by their bullying," Watson wrote in a tweet.

Labour dispute continues

Turmoil in Ottawa's taxi industry is also highlighted by last week's violent proteston theAirport Parkway that led to the arrest of three taxi drivers.

• 3 cab drivers charged after taxi vandalism
• Passenger dodges flying glass as protesters attack cab
• Taxi driver fears for family after cab is vandalized

Airport taxi drivers have been locked out of the airportstand for five weeks in adispute with their dispatcher,Coventry Connections, over an increase infees for the exclusive right to pick up at theairport.

Ottawa taxi drivers who continue to pick up at the airport have said they believe their vehicles are being vandalized in retaliation.

On Tuesday,a video posted to YouTube showedprotesters smashing the back windshield of a Bluelinetaxi on the Airport Parkway.

GeorgeMacLeod, a businessman from New Brunswick told CBC News he was sitting in the back seat when protesters closed in on his taxi "with big metal bars and started slapping the car." He said he narrowly avoided injury.

Three Ottawamen, aged54, 60 and 21, were arrested on Thursday and charged withmischief over $5,000 andpossession of a dangerous weapon.