Mayor John Tory says he understands that taxi drivers are frustrated, but a new large-scale protest to disrupt the city as it hosts the NBA All-Star Game will not help their situation.
“I acknowledge the fact that the present situation taxi cabs face is unfair,” Tory told reporters Monday.
However he said a massive demonstration will not move things along.
“Please don’t protest in a manner that disrupts the city because it won’t speed things up,” Tory said, referring to a recent city council vote to file an injunction against Uber ‘when the time is right.’
On Sunday a group representing disgruntled taxi drivers confirmed they will launch a large-scale protest next weekend in order to get the attention of city officials.
The move comes as the city prepares to host several major events with international media attention.
The NBA All-Star Game will take place at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday evening, but a slew of related events will take place around town starting on Friday.
The Canadian International Auto Show is also set to get underway for its opening weekend on Friday.
The taxi drivers are frustrated because they say the city is not doing enough to reign in the ride-sharing service, which has flaunted city bylaws in the past and bypasses costly regulatory measures that traditional taxis are subject to.
Last week city council declined to vote in favour of an immediate injunction against Uber because legal advisers indicated that an application for an injunction would have little chance of succeeding.
A previous inunction filed by the city last year was eventually quashed by an Ontario Superior Court judge.
That led to a rowdy, profanity-laced chorus of protest by taxi drivers in council chambers, with security eventually ejecting some demonstrators from the room.
In the meantime, Tory said city staff are working “as fast as they can” to come up with a new regulatory framework that would create a level playing field for the traditional taxi industry and Uber.
Following a meeting on Sunday, the United Taxi Workers Association said it would “definitely” launch some sort of protest next weekend.
United Taxi Workers Association spokesperson Paul Sukhan said he expected the protest will involve thousands of cabs and include disruptions along the Gardiner Expressway.
“It will be a series of different job actions starting from the roads and then ending up downtown eventually,” Sukhan said.
He said the drivers are resorting to job action “because we have nothing left to lose and there’s no sympathy from city officials, including the mayor.”
A similar protest in December slowed or stopped traffic around Queen’s Park, Toronto City Hall and on the Don Valley Parkway and the QEW/Gardiner Expressway, and resulted in a slew of backlash against taxi drivers on social media.
While thousands of cab drivers are expected to take part in the protest, not all parties in the taxi industry are on-board.
In a statement Monday, Beck Taxi Operations Manager Kristine Hubbard said the company sympathizes with drivers, but doesn’t agree with the planned protest.
“Beck supports Toronto’s hard-working taxi drivers who are facing a time of incredible strain on their livelihoods. We empathize with the frustrations they are feeling and recognize the drawn out process to deal with Uber is incredibly frustrating,” Hubbard said.
“At the same time, Beck does not believe inconveniencing Torontonians or visitors to our city is the appropriate course of action, especially during an important weekend like this one.”
For Uber, it will be business as usual in terms of service this coming weekend, a company representative said.
“We are focused on keeping Toronto moving during All-Star Weekend as well as our work with city officials to update regulations which will benefit ride-sharing and taxi alike,” spokesperson Susie Heath said in a statement provided to CP24.
"We believe that Torontonians deserve choice and that there is room for all of us to serve our city.”
Tory said Monday that law enforcement officials “will have to take whatever steps are necessary” if taxi drivers decide to go ahead with another protest next weekend.
Speaking with CP24 Monday, Chief Mark Saunders sounded a similar note.
“I understand their frustration – the lawmakers are the ones who are going to make the changes,” Saunders said. “By disrupting the city, by putting people in harm’s way – I don’t think that’s the best advice to be giving any taxi driver. I don’t think that’s going to change any timelines with respect to the issues that are at-hand right now.”
He said increased police enforcement in response to the protest is not planned at the moment, but added that police will respond as necessary.
