As of Thursday afternoon, Londoners needing a ride will have another option.
Uber announced Thursday morning that it is launching its ride sharing product, uberX, in London at 2pm Thursday.
It also announced the start of service in the Waterloo Region, Hamilton and Guelph.
"Uber's launch today brings ride sharing to over 1.4-million Ontarians, who now have access to a smarter and more affordable way to get around town," says Ian Black, GM of Uber Canada. "By opening these markets, Uber stands to create more than 2,400 driver partner jobs in the region over the next year."
The company claims its prices are 25% lower than taxi rates, and while questions have been raised in other cities about safety, it says all uberX drivers must pass background checks that surpass municipal taxi and limo requirements.
According to a release, "This screening process includes a National Criminal Record Check, searches of local police databases and a thorough review of motor vehicle records as well as a vehicle inspection. Every ride on the uberX platform in Canada is backed by $5-million of contingent auto liability insurance covering bodily injury and property damage."
But Uber does have its opponents in London.
When the company first set its sights on the city, the reaction from officials at city hall was less than welcoming.
"We consider it electronic hitchhiking and we consider it a health and safety issue for the public,” Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer Orest Katoylk tells BlackburnNews.com.