New City of Toronto rules have no mandatory in-car training for Uber and Lyft drivers

Thestar.com
February 25, 2020
Jennifer Pagliaro

Uber and other vehicle-for-hire drivers may not have to do any in-person training under the city’s newly proposed requirements.

Those requirements, which detail criteria for mandatory driver training, were quietly posted on the city’s website on Feb. 14 as it solicits applications from third-party companies that want to be qualified to provide that training.

The requirements recommend that several practical elements like “driving in an urban setting” may be delivered “through in-car training, video or simulations on-line.”

The rules will apply to all vehicle-for-hire drivers, including taxis, under a change that technically came into effect at the start of this year. New drivers will have to provide proof of training by June 1, and existing drivers by the end of the year.

The new city rules leave open the possibility that companies like Uber and Lyft, which already operate legally in the city without any mandatory training, will choose the least-onerous training programs for their drivers -- by video only.

“It’s beyond disappointing,” said Cheryl Hawkes, whose 28-year-old son Nicholas Cameron was killed while travelling as a passenger in an Uber in 2018.

She called it “lowering the bar yet again” after council first voted to remove training for taxi drivers to, it was argued, level the playing field with the new app-based companies.

In 2019, council agreed to increased safety provisions under the city’s bylaw governing vehicles-for-hire, including adding the requirement for mandatory training for all drivers.

“Is it too much to ask for one in-car driving test?” Hawkes asked.

Coun. Gord Perks (Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park) said he tells people not to use private companies like Uber over ongoing safety concerns.

“You can’t train someone to drive a commercial vehicle in the city of Toronto by showing them videos,” he said. “Uber’s whole business model is built on cheaping out on safety and driver training. The city has caved here and put the business interests of Uber ahead of the safety of passengers.”

Beck Taxi’s Kristine Hubbard called the city requirements “infuriating.”

Taxi companies, who stand to lose the most in the growth of rideshare apps, have long opposed the city regulating companies like Uber and Lyft and say it was a mistake by council to lessen safety requirements for everyone.

Beck has been running a training program for its drivers, including an in-car portion, through Centennial College since council originally removed the training requirements.

Hubbard said that if the new city-approved training is done remotely, the city will have no way to monitor if the actual drivers are doing it.

“One person could sit and collect money for hundreds of other people and just sit and do tests all day,” she said.

Other elements of the training requirements include how to interact with TTC streetcars and how to provide services to those with accessibility issues. Companies wanting to be accredited to provide training have until March 13 to submit applications.

The city said an expert panel of city and Canada Safety Council representatives reviewed the criteria and will help screen applications.

Carleton Grant, executive director, of the city’s municipal licensing and standards division, told the Star in a statement that they worked with Centennial College to develop the eligibility requirements.

When asked whether it recommended criteria that allowed video-only training, Centennial College’s Janna Erichsen, chair of part-time learning at the school of transportation, said: “We consulted, however final decisions were made by the city.”

Erichsen said the college plans to apply for city accreditation.

Asked about how to ensure video training is properly administered, Grant said: “The city also has the ability to ensure that approved driver training programs have systems in place to ensure the integrity of their programs.” He did not explain how the city would do that.

In a statement, Mayor John Tory’s spokesperson Don Peat said, “it is our expectation that city staff will approve programs that have a mix of delivery methods for the training, including in-car training.”

Fatima Reyes, the communications manager for Lyft Canada, said in a statement that the updated city bylaw “allows Lyft to continue prioritizing safety, while ensuring Torontonians benefit from a reliable and cost-effective form of transportation.” She did not answer questions about how video training would be handled by the company, or its preference for the method of training.

Martin Gray, manager of public policy for Uber Canada, said in a statement the company has been “working closely” with the city on the new requirements and is “continuously investing in safety.” Uber also did not directly answer the Star’s questions about video training.