Calgary has passed new rules and regulations for transportation companies like Uber -- but the app-based car service says the rules are too strict.
Starting April 4, non-taxi drivers will be able to carry passengers in Calgary if they have a valid taxi driver's licence, submit to an annual background check by police, and have commercial insurance.
Uber drivers will also need purchase a $220 permit from the city of Calgary every year.
Uber has rejected the regulations as being too strict, and says the fees are too high, so it will not operate in Calgary.
Earlier this year Edmonton passed new regulations that are quite similar.
In Edmonton, Uber drivers will need to have commercial insurance, a taxi driver's licence, and an annual inspection of their vehicle.
Uber will also pay Edmonton $50,000 a year, plus six cents for every trip taken by an Uber passenger, and contribute $20,000 each year toward a fund for passengers with physical disabilities.
Last week Quebec's provincial government began parliamentary hearings about Uber, with Transportation Minister Jacques Daoust demanding the company open its books so the government could accurately collect taxes.
In a letter sent to Uber and obtained by La Presse, Daoust also asked Uber to hand over a list of drivers working for the company, and how much each of them earned.
