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Another shot across the bow: Expert says law is behind Uber in its fight against Surrey mayor – CityNews Vancouver

Published

5 years ago

January 29, 2020

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Does the City of Surrey have a leg to stand on in trying to stop ride-hailing from operating there? The short answer, according to an academic, is no.

Over the weekend, some drivers approached the media, saying they had been baited through their ride-sharing app and handed warning tickets after being met by bylaw officers.

Zac Spicer, the Director of Research at the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, said Uber has the law on its side.

“Municipal action or inaction cannot frustrate provincial legislation,” he explained. “So, unfortunately for the mayor, this is happening.”

On Tuesday, Uber said it was proceeding with legal action against the city, filing an injunction application to stop it from “issuing illegal tickets,” but that didn’t appear to phase Mayor Doug McCallum.

McCallum, who has been vocal about his opposition to ride-hailing, even warned ride-hailing drivers that if they were caught picking people up in Surrey, they could face fines of up to $500.

Regardless, Spicer doesn’t think this will make it very far in court.

“The precedent here is pretty clear — if there’s provincial legislation in place, municipal action can’t frustrate it,” he said. “I would imagine a judge would strike this quite quickly. This could also be a bit more of posturing on the mayor’s part, perhaps, probably knowing that it’s not going to go too far in court.”

There is currently no particular business licence that would cover ride-hailing in Surrey. Spicer said if Uber was granted one at the provincial level, it wouldn’t matter if Surrey had its own, anyway.

“I think it’s a pretty clear cut case from the point of view of the legal system,” he explained. “I understand the frustration — if you are a mayor and you have fought this for several years, and that you feel you are protecting workers or a certain sector of your local economy. But this is really a fight to take up with the province at this point in time, if they choose to do so.”

The head of Uber’s Western Canada division has said Surrey’s actions are ultimately hurting its residents, and that ticketing drivers “who want to earn money and support their families,” was unfair.

“It is also unfair to those who need a safe, affordable and reliable ride,” Michael van Hemmen said.

Uber is expected to speak to the media at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

-With files from Tarnjit Parmar and Martin MacMahon

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Cineplex reports $24.7M Q3 loss on Competition Tribunal penalty

Published

23 hours ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.

The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.

The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.

Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.

Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CGX)

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Restaurant Brands reports US$357M Q3 net income, down from US$364M a year ago

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.

The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.

Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.

On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:QSR)

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Electric and gas utility Fortis reports $420M Q3 profit, up from $394M a year ago

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Anne Joseph

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.

The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.

Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.

Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FTS)

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