Uber Ride-sharing Service
A picture that shows the logo of the car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign in Frankfurt, September 15, 2014. Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach

No less than the City of Toronto has sought to stop the services of San Francisco-based Uber taxi and limousine company. On Tuesday, the city lodged an application before the Superior Court to stop the company from further operating in the city, citing the public's "health and safety" are at risk.

At a news conference Tuesday, Tracey Cook, Toronto's executive director of municipal licensing and standards, clarified the court case was filed not to protect the business interests of existing regulated taxi operators. "This is not about the technology, it's about the service that is being provided," further stressing the government has a duty to ensure the safety of both passengers and drivers.

The Uber ridesharing service, born in San Francisco, entails the use of a mobile app which connects customers with drivers of vehicles for hire using GPS technology. The same app enables customers to make requests for rides as well as track their reserved vehicle's location. The service was launched in Toronto over two years ago and had been operating without a taxicab or brokerage licence. But when the city filed its case against it, it stated Uber had violated 36 bylaws, including operating without a licence.

According to the Globe and Mail, the company initially used two apps when it launched its operations in Toronto - UberTaxi app when customers just want cabs and UberBlack for limousines. Then in September, it started a service that utilizes cars and drivers that operate outside the city's regulations, under the app UberX.

Uber operates in 230 cities across the world. It has consistently received criticism from global taxi drivers who claimed the service does not ensure the same level of safety as licenced cabs do. Uber is simply put an unregulated taxi, Sam Moini, a spokesman with the Toronto Tax Alliance, told CP24. "They don't have the commercial insurance that taxis have and they don't get the regular inspections that taxis get," Moini said. "When riding with Uber the person inside the car doesn't have the same safety and security that they do in the taxicab."

Uber has been banned in Calgary, according to CBC News. Vancouver is considering doing the same.