Uber now officially licensed in Ottawa

After operating illegally in Ottawa for two years, Uber has become the first officially licensed private transportation company in Ottawa.

Last spring, the City of Ottawa passed new "vehicle-for-hire regulations" the first jurisdiction in Ontario to do soto bringride-hailing services likeUberin line with the city's taxi bylaws.

The new rulescame into effect Sept. 30, and dictate thatcompanies such asUbermust secure an operating licence from the city.

UberCanada became the first company to do so. Itsprivate transportationcompany (PTC) licence includes 1,528 vehicles, according toRoger Chapman, the chief of by-law and regulatory services for the city.

That potentially introduces a big influx of vehicles to the city's taxi industry, though it's not clear how many of the Uber vehicles are also licensed taxis.

Last week, before the new rules came into effect, theCity of Ottawa said there were 2,538 licensed taxi drivers.

The app-based ride-hailing service hadoperated illegally in Ottawa since October 2014, disruptingthe traditional taxi industry in the city.