Over the past five days thousands of Calgarians and visitors have signed up to use Uber in Cowtown and, in the process, raised thousands of dollars for The Calgary Foundation. The Uber Calgary team got great tips on where to find good drinks (National and Craft) and good food (Blue Star Diner and Una), and got visited by some pretty adorable trick-or-treaters.

We wish we could stay. We really do.

But for now, we have to say goodbye.

Antiquated rules in Calgary require sedan services – like those that partner with Uber – to charge you a $78 minimum fare, no matter how short your ride. That’s outrageous. Faster and more reliable transportation shouldn’t be the exclusive privilege of the rich. It should be available to all of Calgary, just like it is in more than 50 other cities in 20 countries, whether you’re late for a meeting or had one too many at The Palomino.

Getting better, faster, and cheaper transportation options in Calgary will require upsetting some longstanding relationships between the incumbent industry and the government.

In Calgary, the government-sanctioned body that advises the Council on matters of taxi and livery is stacked with representatives from the industry; less than a third of its members are from the riding public. This is regulation of the industry, by the industry, and for the industry. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in campaign contributions the taxi industry has pumped into recent elections. Ever wonder why for-hire transportation in Calgary still leaves so very much to be desired, despite cries for reform for years?

But we have faith. Calgary is making a name for itself as a forward-looking city with big ambitions. We’ve been humbled by how many of you have reached out to say that you want Uber to be a part of Calgary’s next chapter.

Wanna help? Stay tuned at @Uber_Calgary, let Mayor @Nenshi know that #CalgaryNeedsUber, and keep an eye out for more Uber-action around town. We’ll see you again soon…

The Uber Calgary Team