Anyone wanting to drive an Uber in Regina must have a completed criminal record check before they start driving.
Regina City Council passed a motion Wednesday to require the background check be done no earlier than 90 days before their start date, essentially lining up with regulations of the city’s taxi companies.
Mayor Sandra Masters says the move prevents the city having to pull any Uber driver off the road due to a failed check.
“The background checks were happening, the issue was the background checks weren’t being completed prior to licensing occurring, which isn’t acceptable,” said Masters. “I think we want all of those background checks completed before people are granted licenses, that’s just good practice.”
Prior to the move at Council, drivers were able to get a record check done by any law enforcement agency before Regina Police would perform a secondary check.
As of April 1st, all criminal record, and vulnerable sector checks will need to be completed by RPS.
Masters says this will hopefully make the process more efficient.
“I believe it’s more of a streamlined process, the same agency is now looking from start to finish,” said Masters. “I think it’s more comprehensive, and I believe it’s where council is most comfortable.”
Council also discussed making cameras mandatory in Ubers and taxis, but ultimately decided against pioneering the mandate, preferring to perform a review on industry standards instead.
Masters says the whole discussion around cameras and record checks all boils down to one thing, the safety of passengers.
“You can’t prevent all bad things from a happening, but you can put in place good practices that can eliminate or mitigate some of the risk involved with vulnerable people getting into a vehicle with a stranger,” said Masters. “So, that’s the intent, is as much as possible, eliminate or risk associated with that activity.”
Council also passed a motion launching Masters’ long-promised efficiency review, which will cost upwards of $250,000
