In 2025: run, don’t walk!
What follows is the poem “The Race” written by Dr. D.H. “Dee” Groberg in 1986 which seems to rise up this time of year, most years, to remind me of the importance of rising when I fall. It is a
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Opinion/Column
Faith is the bridge, not the boundary
“Shangox” is the pen name of a writer who has worked as a lifetime professional driver. He immigrated from Africa to Canada many years ago. He describes himself as “a seasoned copywriter with a passion for crafting compelling narratives that
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Merry Christmas – Happy New Year – Happy Holidays!
Wishing you and your loved ones all the best for a safe, wonderful holiday season.
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The Deputation I did not make
The Accessible Fund whereby one segment of the industry is MADE to pay for another is just insane By Andy Réti For over 30 years, I was making deputations at City Hall in the mistaken belief that just “this time
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Chrystia Freeland’s resignation letter
Canada’s Finance Minister posts open letter on X resigning her portfolio “Dear Prime Minister, It has been the honour of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together. On Friday, you
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COP29 was a waste of time
If they didn’t have double standards, they’d have no standards at all The twenty-ninth edition of the U.N. Climate Change Committee’s annual “Conference of the Parties,” also known as COP29, wrapped up recently, and I must say, it seemed a
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A chance to rebuild the Vehicle for Hire industry feels like watching the sun rise on a new day. Photo: Taxi News
Can we stop the transportation insanity? Let’s hope!
All every Uber driver wants, is what every Taxi driver once had. Everything Taxi drivers ever had and fought for – a living wage; some job security; transparent dealings with regulators and customers; and traffic congestion that is at least
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Earla Phillips and other members of Rideshare Drivers of Ontario held a press conference at Toronto City Hall on December 14th, 2023 to express their support for Toronto Council as it works to identify an improved system of licensing rideshare vehicles. There are too many people driving for money at present, Phillips says, which makes it difficult for anyone to earn a living wage. Photo: RDAO
Algorithm charges riders more, pays drivers less
A.I.-driven pricing and pay is bad for drivers and customers With the release of its December 2024 report on “algorithmic pay,” the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario makes three recommendations: Introduction to the Rideshare Drivers’ Association of Ontario December, 2024
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Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame. Is a city judged by the grandiosity of its buildings, or the industriousness of its workers? Photo: HHOF
Be ready for any surprise
I dragged myself to the Committee meeting room and took my seat in the row of speakers. Everyone was there for the same reason: to ask for funds for their program from the limited Tourism budget. My group, Taxis on Patrol, was asking for $7,000 to help fund an annual program which presented awards to cab drivers that had helped improve safety on Toronto streets. It also had a strong impact on improving the often-tenuous relationships between the cab industry, the city, and police.
My favourite Taxis on Patrol (“TOPS”) story was of a driver who saw a woman being beaten by a man on the street. He swerved to the curb and threw open his front door: the woman jumped in, he auto-locked the doors and just kept driving.
In our most famous file, a driver had a mother in the back seat whose fevered baby had gone into convulsions. The driver contacted dispatch who contacted 911 who walked the driver through every step to restore the baby to consciousness – we actually got permission to release the dramatic 911 tape of that event, and when it was played for Metro Council, several of the councillors were crying at the end of it. The baby lived.
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