“Cap entry” vote doubles “no cap” at public VFH session

65,000 drivers chasing 160,000 rides per day

Poll question #4 on Toronto’s June 12th Vehicle for Hire (VFH) public consultation saw twice as many polled in favour of ending open entry and placing a limit on the number of VFH allowed.

37 per cent of those who responded to the instant, on-line poll support a cap on the number of VFH permitted. 14 per cent opposed a cap. 43 per cent did not vote.

The current VFH consultations are being held to provide Licensing and Standards staff with information to write a report in November, 2024 advising Toronto Council on how to address significant problems in the industry.

Issues to be addressed in the report include the number of VFH cruising the streets, which currently include about 65,000 rideshare vehicles and about 4,000 Taxis. When Toronto voted to permit open entry (no cap on the number of VFH permitted) in 2016, exploding numbers of drivers devastated the revenues of licensed Taxi drivers, increasing gridlock and emissions.

One speaker, from the Toronto Region Board of Trade, spoke against implementing a cap as she believes that an unlimited number of rideshare vehicles discourages car ownership.

Several VFH drivers including both Taxi and rideshare spoke in favour of a cap on the number of vehicles permitted. Earla Philips of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario noted that the average Uber driver nets less than $10 per hour.

“We have 65,000 drivers chasing 160,000 rides per day,” Philips told the meeting. “Drivers cannot earn a living with this amount of work.”