A planned demonstration by taxi and limo drivers could cause some serious headaches for those trying to get around Toronto Wednesday morning.
The anti-Uber demonstration is designed to urge city officials ‘to enforce the existing laws regarding Uber, including UberX,’ a release Tuesday on the protest described.
Cabs will be gathering at four locations beginning at 7:30 a.m. before following a ‘planned route’ and converging at Queen’s Park and city hall.
Over 2,000 cabs are expected to participate.
“In Toronto, it has been over two months since the city updated their bylaw, but, Uber has yet to come into compliance,” the release reads.
In September, city council voted to examine regulating the ridesharing service. A staff report – covering all ground transportation, including Uber – is expected out in the spring outlining the proposed regulations.
At the time, council also voted in favour of Coun. Jim Karygiannis’ motion of asking Uber to cease operations until the report is presented.
“All businesses ought to respect the law,” Sam Moini, president of the Fleet Operators Association, said in the release.
Moini and Sajid Mughal, president of the iTaxiWorkers Association, are both listed in the release as spokesmen for the demonstration.
“This is a fight about fairness at the end of the day,” Mughal said.
“Today we are calling upon the city, the police and the province to do one thing: enforce the existing laws.”
Not all taxi organizations are behind the demonstration, however.
In its own release Tuesday, the Toronto Taxi Alliance said that while it supports the aim of the demonstration, ‘it does not support any tactic which will disrupt traffic or transportation for Toronto drivers and residents.’
Similarly, Beck Taxi is asking its drivers not to participate.
“What we’re suggesting they not do is participate in anything that would cause disruption – anything that would cause inconvenience to people who are trying to access their service,” Beck spokesperson Kristine Hubbard told CP24 Tuesday night.
“It’s turning business away. And if the complaint is that they’re losing business, well, it doesn’t make sense to (take part in the demonstration.)”
In a statement provided to CP24 Tuesday night, Uber spokesperson Susie Heath said that the company believes there is room for both traditional ground transportation providers and services such as Uber ‘to serve the different transit needs of Torontonians.’
“Rather than disrupting traffic during the busy holiday season, our focus remains on working with city officials to update regulations that allow for innovation and choice in Toronto which will benefit all participants in the ground transportation market,” Heath said.
