UberX court cases will determine if Toronto police lay more charges against drivers, Chief Saunders says

If eight TorontoUberX drivers charged under the Highway Traffic Act are convicted,police will continue to enforce the law against the unlicensed drivers,Toronto Police CheMark Saunders says.

Saunders made the announcement after emergingfrom what he called "a very constructive meeting"with members of the city's taxi industry.

The eight drivers, arrested by Toronto Police Service officers in March,were charged under Section 39.1 of the provincial act, which states that adriver "shall not pick up a passenger for the purpose of transporting him or her for compensation where a licence, permit or authorization is required to do so."

• Taxi driver who clung to UberX says he once drove for Uber

• Toronto's taxi versus Uber landscape an 'obvious powder keg': Beck

"If the outcomes are successful from a judicial perspective,then we will take an active roll in the enforcement againstUberX," Saunders told reporters. "Until those laws are properly interpreted, there's not much more we can do."

If the courts throw out the charges against the drivers,Saunders said "we'll be back where we started," and it will be up to lawmakers to craft new regulations.

Saunders said he was unaware of the eight charges before today and hopes the court process will be quicker than waiting for politicians to pass legislation. The courts have previously thrown out local charges against UberX drivers, he said.

SamMoiniof the Taxi Alliance of Torontosaid taxi drivers believe the Highway Traffic Act is clear as it pertains to UberX.

"We feel that UberX is operating illegally. Charges have been laid and we're thankful to the police officers who have been laying those charges," he said. "We expressed the desperation of the industry to the police chiefand how desperate we are for the law to be abided by."

The fact that cases are before the courts shouldn't stop police from taking action now, Moinisaid.

"Just because someone runs a red light and he fights it in court, does that mean that we hold off on issuing red light tickets until we get that decision?"

Calling UberX "bandit taxis," Moinisaid it is unsafe for people to use the raid-hailing app Uber to call unlicensedcabs that may not have the proper insurance.

Moinisaid passengers who use UberXmightalso be breaking the law.Section 39.3 of the act states that: "No person shall arrange or offer to arrange for a passenger to be picked up in a motor vehicle other than a bus for the purpose of being transported for compensation except under the licence, permit or authorization that is required to do so."

Not clear if more protests coming

Earlier in the day,SajidMughal, a spokesman for theiTaxiWorkersAssociation, saidToronto taxi drivers won't rule out another protest if Friday's meeting with Saunders doesn't go well.

On Wednesday, taxi drivers staged a citywideanti-Uberprotest that snarled roadways around Toronto.That demonstration also saw one taxi driver pound on an UberX car's window before clinging to the fleeting car and more than 100 drivers shut down the busy intersection of Bay and Queen Streets during rush hour.

It's too soon to say whether there will be further protests, Moinisaid. First, he said, industry stakeholders will meet to discuss the conversation with Saunders.

"The demonstration you saw on Wednesday is because people are losing the shirts off their back.The demonstration you saw on Wednesday is because people cannot put food on their tables," he told reporters.

Saunders wouldn't speculate on the possibility of future protests.

"The City of Toronto handles thousands of protests on a regular basis," he said. "If it is, we'll handle it the best way we possibly can."

Friday's meeting comes at the behest of Mayor John Tory. On Wednesday, Tory assured cab drivers that the city is working toward changing its bylaws.

In addition to the eight provincial charges before the courts, 294UberXhave been charged by the city withbylaw infractions under theMunicipal Licensing and Standards Division.