Montreal airport’s Uber pickup system raising safety concerns

The way travellers arriving at Montréal-Trudeau airport get an Uber is raising safety concerns, with some passengers saying the process leaves too much uncertainty about who they are getting into a car with.

Passengers in line for an Uber are expected to make a reservation on the Uber app in order to receive a PIN, which they must show to the next available driver once they reach the front of the line.

That means passengers are not seeing their driver details – name, car, rating, and more – the way the app normally works outside of the airport.

In a video shared widely on Instagram last Monday, Jordan Laine, the wife of Montreal Canadiens player Patrik Laine, believes the system poses safety risks.

“Montreal has implemented a new system for leaving the airport with Uber and I think it’s actually pretty dangerous,” Laine says in the video.

“When I was standing in line, everybody, I think, partially because it’s so cold outside, is just giving the driver their luggage and getting right in the car before they’re connecting to the driver on the app,” Laine tells her followers in the video. “And obviously, ladies, this is super dangerous. Please, please, please do not get in a car that you’re not connected to on the Uber app.

Laine says a driver attempted to have her get into his vehicle before she had connected to him through the app.

“Like even when I was standing there, the driver took my luggage and I said, ‘I want to connect to you on the Uber app now.’ And he said, ‘No, we’ll do it when we get in the car.’ And I was like, ‘no, no, I want to do it now before I get in your car.’

She also points out that unlike taxi cabs, Uber vehicles are not clearly marked.

“The problem is, when you have the Ubers lined up before you’re connected to them, they’re not marked cars like taxi cabs. You’re literally just getting into a stranger’s car.

“I think it’s actually pretty dangerous.”

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Some passengers at the airport echoed those concerns.

“I prefer the old system because you can talk to a person and check the plates of the vehicle before getting into the car,” said Montrealer Amélie Marineau Pelletier. “I heard about sexual harassment in France and here.”

Ron Schwarz, who said he was using the Uber PIN system for the first time, said the lack of information before entering a vehicle is troubling.

“You should know who your driver is. You should have the license plate number. You should have all the info before you get in just in case,” Schwarz said. “It is a security issue.”

Glaëlle Jacques, a Canadian living in North Carolina who was visiting Montreal, said the experience felt unsafe.

“Definitely a security issue. I have no idea what the licence plate is, who the driver is,” she said. “In addition to that, I’m here internationally, so as a woman travelling abroad, this is very unsafe.”

Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), the city’s airport authority, says the changes to the Uber system were made to minimize congestion, and that signage is there to remind users to connect with the driver using the Uber PIN before they get in the vehicle.

“There are illegal taxis, unfortunately, running around the airport,” said Anne-Sophie Hamel, spokesperson for Aéroports de Montréal. “People trying to say, ‘Oh, I’m an Uber, I can take you,’ but you don’t have any guarantees if you do that. You have to make sure that you get into the appropriate car, that’s a certified Uber driver.”

Hamel added that passengers should connect with their driver on the app and verify the PIN before handing over luggage or entering the vehicle.

Some travellers say the system could work, if followed properly.

“It must be mandatory if it is put in place, they must respect it,” said Sarah Wagner, visiting from France. “And it allows us to have additional security and therefore not get in until we have given this code.”

But others say the signage and process are unclear.

“The signage is not sufficient and I have no idea which car I’m getting into,” Jacques said. “I’m not sure who to give the PIN to.”

Marineau Pelletier said the experience may change how she travels in the future.

“It’s more dangerous than it was before,” she said. “I will maybe return to taxi drivers.”

In an email to CityNews, Uber’s public affairs manager for Quebec, Jonathan Hamel, addressed the safety concerns and changes at Montréal-Trudeau airport.

Hamel explained that the airport “is currently undergoing a major, multi-year expansion, and these construction projects have required temporary changes to how passenger pickups are organized, including for ridesharing services. These adjustments are intended to improve safety and efficiency in a very constrained environment. One of such adjustments is the launch of our PIN dispatch system.”

“Under our current setup, after making their ride requests the riders will receive a 6-digit code that they need to provide to the drivers in the PIN line. Eligible drivers will have the PIN screen in their driver app to receive the code from riders. Only when the code is successfully entered into the driver app will the trip officially start. The airport staff and Uber brand ambassadors are also trained to assist with any issues.”

Hamel added that “in Québec, vehicles authorized to complete Uber trips must display both an Uber decal and the yellow sticker issued by the SAAQ, which are required to be visible on the rear window of the vehicle. Passengers can complete this verification before entering the vehicle.”

Uber says that safety is a top priority for them and that the app includes several safety features for riders. Such as GPS tracking, RideCheck, Trusted Contacts and audio recording.

“Drivers and riders can report any incident or accident via the app or through Uber’s Safety Incident Reporting line,” said Hamel.