Damn the torpedoes: full speed ahead
Ontario “rideshare” regs moving like lightening
Ontario’s unseemly rush to regulate so-called “rideshare” around the return of the Northlander train is transparently disingenuous and potentially irresponsible. Everyone knows by now that no one is sharing anything; the more frightening part is that no one is taking responsibility for anything, either.
The pace of activities over the whole ten days of Northlander Rideshare Pilot Engagements was as nasty, brutish and short as any government scheme I’ve ever witnessed: four meetings, three hours each, by invitation only. Meeting Number One boasted 29 tax-payer paid bureaucrats and six industry members. None of the 19 existing Taxi companies along the Northlander route were invited.
The March 19th meeting ended half an hour early, and less than 24 hours later the Pilot summary was posted to MTO’s website. Concerned citizens have until April 10 to digest proposed changes and provide comments for a scheme to be implemented in Spring, 2026.
By the current standard, I expect this means the new regulatory regime will be rolled out by April 13th, the next business day.
Police have not had time to weigh in on vehicle identification or driver registration standards; consumer advocates have no idea how American corporations will establish rates including surge charges and surveillance pricing.
Drivers will not know how algorithmic pay will impact earnings as they slide from peak ridership during tourist seasons to ghost towns in winter.
Residents are not being told that if local Taxi companies are forced out of business, any hope of 24/7 service will go with them.
I am still digesting the epic amount of information Ontario is asking industry members and citizens to wrap their minds around in a matter of hours, not months. I will have a much more detailed critique in the days ahead; I never thought I’d actually be hard-pressed to keep up with the speed of bureaucracy.
