HALIFAX — The recent release of documents has revealed that Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore met with an Uber lobbyist, Jonathan Hamel, just one day before persuading the city council to delay a critical vote on proposals aimed at increasing the oversight of ride-hailing drivers. This meeting, held on January 12, highlighted Uber's advocacy against changes to bylaws, which were intended to align the background check processes for ride-hailing drivers with those that taxi and limo drivers must follow.
The documents, obtained through a freedom-of-information request, consist of a 40-page presentation that showcases Uber's safety standards and its community contributions. It also presents a strong critique of the proposed amendments to the bylaws. Notably, Halifax lacks a lobbyist registry, allowing these interactions to remain undisclosed unless prompted by a formal request.
Correspondence from the documents shows that Hamel, who is Uber Canada's public affairs manager for Quebec, communicated extensively with Fillmore's senior staff between October and November 2025. These discussions occurred as the council prepared to consider changes based on a staff report, which pointed out the disparity in how taxi and ride-hailing drivers undergo background checks. While taxi and limo drivers must submit their background check results to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), ride-hailing drivers hand their results directly to their companies for internal review.
Background checks are meant to uncover criminal records, child abuse allegations, and include special police checks for those interacting with vulnerable populations. To modernize the ride-for-hire sector, the report recommended that ride-hailing drivers adhere to the same scrutiny as taxi drivers.
In his correspondence dated November 19, 2025, Hamel contended that Halifax's existing screening process was the most stringent in Canada. He emphasized that the city's current bylaws already enforce uniform screening standards for both ride-share and taxi drivers, thereby claiming that the HRM already possesses adequate audit and enforcement capabilities.
Although the documents do not suggest that Uber's lobbying breached any regulations, they expose the company's efforts to maintain the existing system for background checks. While Uber has claimed that municipal officials could request background checks under a data-sharing agreement, the HRM's licensing manager confirmed in January that such requests had never been made.
As pressure mounted, Uber encouraged its drivers to voice their concerns about the proposed changes through a public statement issued on January 9, leading to hundreds of emails being sent to council members. Many of these emails primarily expressed dissatisfaction with driver pay rather than the safety concerns central to the proposed amendments.
During a council meeting on January 13, Fillmore succeeded in deferring the discussion on background checks until the next regular council meeting, which was slated for January 27. The day before that meeting, Uber spokesperson Keerthan Rang issued a statement to the media, stating that the proposed changes would not significantly enhance safety and supported Fillmore's proposal to form a committee to evaluate public policy objectives against best practices across Canada.
Fillmore's motion to postpone the changes and create the committee reflected the influence of Uber's lobbying efforts, as portions of his proposal closely mirrored Rang's earlier statements. In public discourse, Fillmore reiterated that safety requirements for ride-hailing drivers already existed and asserted that he routinely engages with stakeholders, including representatives from both taxi and ride-sharing industries.
Councillor Sam Austin, who opposed Fillmore's motions, stated that he had been contacted by Uber multiple times as they sought to lobby various council members. He expressed that the taxi sector was not as well organized in its pushback compared to the ride-hailing companies and noted that he supported efforts to align the rules governing background checks to create a level playing field.
The discussion surrounding background checks arises amid heightened scrutiny of Uber in the United States, where the company faces multiple class-action lawsuits alleging sexual assault and harassment by drivers. A report from the New York Times indicated that between 2017 and 2022, Uber received reports of sexual assault or misconduct approximately every eight minutes, amounting to over 400,000 complaints.
In response to these issues, Rang emphasized that safety remains a core value for Uber, which offers various safety features such as GPS tracking and encrypted audio recording. She acknowledged, however, that societal issues influence transportation services, indicating continual efforts to enhance safety through improved technology and policies.
