Toronto taxi drivers threaten job action, claim Uber not following bylaws

Citynews.ca
Aug 3, 2016

Toronto taxi drivers are threatening more protests because they feel the new Uber regulations are not being enforced by the city.

Cabbies say Uber drivers are ignoring the new regulations that were put in place by city hall in May.

The United Taxi Workers Association is floating the idea of another rolling cab protest, possibly in September and just in time for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Last December, hundreds of taxi drivers rolled down on downtown streets, snarling traffic for hours. Demonstrations like this one came as the taxi industry was pushing for regulations to even the playing field for drivers competing with Uber.

In May, city council passed new bylaws that required Uber drivers to get vehicle inspections and register their criminal background checks, which is what cabbies have to do.

Those rules went into effect two weeks ago, but the head of the GTA’s taxi organization said Uber is not complying and the city isn’t helping.

“Either they’re not doing it or they’re not enforcing it, it’s the same thing to us. We have seen nothing on the streets,” Paul Sekhon, president of the United Taxi Workers Association of the GTA said, on Tuesday.

“We’ve been sitting her patiently [ ... ], just sitting and waiting for city officials to get this done.”

The region’s taxi group is set to meet on Thursday, as part of their first step to decide what kind of job action they’ll be launching.

A spokesperson with Uber Canada said they are working with the city but did not address the taxi group’s allegations.

“We have applied for our PTC (Private Transportation Company) licence and look forward to receiving it from the City of Toronto soon,” Jean-Christophe de Le Rue said in a statement. “The city has a phased application process and we expect to fulfill each phase as it becomes available.”