The Pulse
Sept. 24, 2026

The former CEO of Alberta Co-op Taxis has launched R-Hero, a rideshare app that he says combines the best qualities of the traditional local taxi industry and multinational tech companies.

"I've been part of the vehicle-for-hire bylaws, and I've been part of the taxi regulations and everything — what I did notice is there is nothing in the market that is kind of the middle between the taxi industry and ridesharing," Uday Kumar Anumanchineni told Taproot.

Anumanchineni said drivers working for large tech companies, such as Uber and Lyft, don't have much control over their work life or transparency with their employer, nor do they have any local support. But if they return to local taxi companies, they have to pay stand rent, a substantial fee that can cut into their earnings.

"Not only that (but) the public got used to ridesharing, and the taxi industry is fading away," said Anumanchineni, who left Alberta Co-op Taxis in April 2025.

Anumanchineni saw firsthand how vehicle-for-hire regulations changed when ridesharing first came to Edmonton. He was a general manager at Alberta Co-op Taxis when Uber was operating illegally in 2014, and he was CEO when Edmonton became the first Canadian municipality to legalize it in 2016. That was when he first realized that the taxi industry's traditional dispatching mechanisms had not kept up with technology, he said. On most rideshare apps, the user presses a button and the closest driver comes by in minutes. But with traditional taxis, the drivers operate in zones and wait in a queue to be dispatched to users, meaning the closest driver is not necessarily the one who gets sent to a user.

R-Hero will be able to compete with the ubiquitous Uber and Lyft because it will offer lower rates to customers and better pay to drivers, Anumanchineni said. The company will pay a guaranteed 70 cents per kilometre to drivers, and charge a base price of about $1.25 per kilometre to the customer. The difference will cover administration and insurance costs. R-Hero makes money by taking a commission. The City of Edmonton also charges rideshare companies 30 cents per trip, in addition to fees that scale with a company's fleet.

Anumanchineni told Taproot the app has been downloaded about 9,000 times, and about 600 drivers are working across Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. He said the shuttle service has been especially popular for senior centres and events such as weddings.

• The City of Edmonton has closed the extended lookout at Keillor Point after heavy summer rain accelerated slope instability. The main trail and viewpoint remain open, while further engineering work will inform longer-term options for the platform.
• Sobeys parent Empire Co. has agreed to stop using restrictive covenants that keep competing grocers from opening at or near its former properties. The federal Competition Bureau agreement also limits clauses that prevent landlords from leasing to other grocers. "It's great to see that the law, in this case, has worked," Coun. Michael Janz said. "I hope that 10 years from now we're going to have more grocery stores and more options in more places." Edmonton city council passed a motion from Janz earlier this year asking the province to eliminate such covenants.
• Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated that five or six Edmonton-area severe-weather events this summer each caused more than $30 million in damage. Prairie-wide insured losses exceeded $1.8 billion.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is considering changes to the Municipal Government Act that could let larger municipalities hold private briefings before public debates. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said he would prefer to avoid private pre-briefings and keep most council business public. "There's only very select reasons why we're allowed to go into private, and I think that should continue to be the way we operate," Knack said.
• Habitat for Humanity and Rohit Homes have completed seven townhomes in Glenridding Ravine for Habitat's homeownership program. Applications are open to people with stable employment who face financial barriers to buying a home.
• Ron Byers of Rainbow Story Hub Foundation has asked the City of Edmonton to add a former downtown gay bar to its inventory of historic resources. Club 70 and Boots and Saddle occupied the building, which Byers hopes to turn into a queer history museum and support centre. Mayor Andrew Knack said formally designating it against the owner's wishes could require city compensation.
• West Edmonton Mall is marking its 45th anniversary by cutting admission to $9.95 for its two mini-golf courses, Sea Life Cavern, skating rink, and World Water Park. The throwback price is meant to match what the attractions would have cost when the mall opened in 1981. Regular waterpark admission is $67.
• Former Edmonton Oilers player Mark Messier said he was "horrified" by the club's hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach. "I'm absolutely shocked they hired him," Messier said on ESPN.
• Dylan Bressey, president of Alberta Municipalities, argued in an op-ed that the province should provide predictable infrastructure funding so municipalities can support housing growth and maintain services. "Provincial infrastructure funding has declined in real per-person terms over many years, even as Alberta's population and construction costs have continued to rise," he wrote. "As a result, municipalities are often forced to delay projects, postpone repairs, and place more pressure on local taxpayers, which all add to Albertans' feelings of frustration."
• El Niño could leave parts of Alberta up to seven degrees Celsius warmer than average this winter and reduce spring snowpack, climate scientists forecast.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Microfluidics and Energy Symposium 2026: Thursday starting at 8:30am at Interface Fluidics
• StrikeUP Signature Series: Make Your Mark starting at 11am online
• How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Business (Even If You've Tried Before) starting at 11am online
• Canada's Hydrogen Hubs: Real Progress, Real Impact starting at 11am online
• Intro to Electric Vehicles in Alberta starting at 12pm online
• Fat Magic (Elixir's Cabinet of Curiosities) starting at 7:30pm at The Dive Bar
• Jimmy Hogg: MASHED starting at 8pm at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns (Westbury Theatre)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 7-10: Canadian Finals Rodeo at Rogers Place
• Oct. 17: Edmonton Short Film Festival: Red Carpet Gala at Landmark Cinemas 9 (Edmonton City Centre)
• Oct. 14-18: LitFest at various locations

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

Learn more about 1-Across in the Health Innovation Roundup and about 8-Across in this story.