Officials with Uber are coming to Windsor this week to sit down with the city's mayor about expanding. Uber connects riders with drivers through a cell phone app. Mayor Drew Dilkens says he fully supports the service as long as it's regulated. "That is to make sure the vehicles are safe, to make sure the drivers have had a criminal background check and have passed that criminal background check," Dilkens says. "And of course to make sure that there's insurance in the event that something happens that the passenger, (they) would be covered." Despite some public concerns about the new ride-sharing service, Dilkens says he's heard positive feedback from an unlikely source -- a current cab driver. "(He) was encouraging me and happy that we were actually going to bring Uber to the community because he felt that he could actually make more money driving for Uber than driving a taxi," he says. Even when Uber drives into town, the mayor believes there will always be room for taxies. Especially since Uber drivers can't be flagged down and won't be waiting outside the airport. "Uber is really a complimentary service that will be competitive with the taxi industry," he says. "We've seen in Toronto where taxies have now lowered their price because of Uber's entrance into the market, so that's good for the consumer." Administration is currently creating new bylaws to accommodate Uber. Those regulations will likely appear before city council in January, Dilkens says. Uber posted three jobs on its website last month searching for full-time and part-time drivers in Windsor. Interested drivers need to be at least 21 years old, have a four-door vehicle, valid driver's license and insurance. Uber hasn't said when it plans to launch in Windsor.
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