TTC advised to ban e-bikes on transit in winter
Delivery workers “very distressed” over recommendation
Risk of fire on public transit vehicles means the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will consider prohibiting lithium battery electric scooters on TTC vehicles during the winter months at its Tuesday, October 29 meeting. Gig workers including food delivery workers who transport their scooters on TTC vehicles for longer distances including commutes home are distressed about the proposal.
“While supporting micromobility aligns with City goals, including reducing traffic congestion, encouraging sustainable transportation, and contributing to local economic development, the TTC’s primary concern is safety for customers and employees,” Mark Biamonte, Director, Emergency Management and Fire Safety writes in a report to the TTC Board.
“Due to the current lack of regulation and safety concerns surrounding e-bikes, e-scooters, and the lithium-ion batteries that power them, it is recommended that the TTC prohibit these devices across the transit system during the winter season from November 15 to April 15 of each year,” Biamonte writes.
“It was very distressing to see the proposed TTC ban on e-bikes and scooters of Gig workers,” George Wedge, president of Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario (RDAO) told Road Warrior News in an email on October 23, 2024.
“Gig Workers need to be able to get from their home to the market they serve, full stop. It’s up to the municipal government, provincial government, and the tech giants to find a solution and it needs to happen today.
“It is just another case where the government’s failure to regulate the tech giants will cause great harm to the workers providing services for Torontonians…it’s deplorable that the Ontario provincial government, under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford, continues to ignore the needs of workers in the fastest growing industry in Ontario, allowing large American corporations to wreak havoc on our economy by exploiting our most vulnerable workers,” Wedge says.
On October 17, Wedge assisted in organizing a rally of Uber drivers at Pearson International Airport in protest of Uber’s new algorithmic “up front pay” system, which drivers say results in them being offered less money than ever for their work.
“At some point in the future, someone will be documenting the history of the Gig Economy in Canada noting that the failure of federal, provincial, and municipal governments were instrumental in creating the ‘Third Class’ of workers who, 15 years ago, were blue collar workers making living wages doing the same kind of work they do today, but now are forced to live and work below the poverty line simply because the tech giants have come into the market, changed the market, but still today remain largely unregulated.”
In his report to the TTC, Biamonte notes, “Some customers, including those who use e-bikes and e-scooters for employment purposes, may be impacted by prohibiting these devices on the TTC. Some of the alternate options available for customers include:
• Bicycle parking, at or near entrances to all 70 subway stations.
• Bicycle lockers, at seven subway stations, several GO Transit stations, and Civic Centre locations.
• Bike Share Toronto, located in close proximity to most subway stations.
“The primary safety concerns are fire risks associated with the lithium-ion batteries found in these devices, particularly those uncertified or misused,” he states. “Fluctuating temperatures can cause condensation and lithium plating, increasing the likelihood of short circuits and fires. The difficulty in verifying battery integrity and exposure to road conditions, such as salt or de-icing compounds during winter, further heightens these risks.”
