Niagara needs to slow down, discuss safety Way says
Vehicle identification rules must put consumer safety first
Coventry Connection CEO Marc André Way has written Niagara councillors requesting they delay proposed changes to local ground transportation regulations until proper public notice is given and industry consultations held.
“As the largest provider of ground transportation services in Niagara, I am writing you because I believe that passenger safety must be the highest priority in any conversation regarding changes to our community’s regulatory process,” Way wrote in a letter to local and regional councillors. A copy of the October 29 letter was obtained by Taxi News.
“Nothing else we discuss in terms of regulation and licensing matters, if we cannot guarantee our riding public that their personal protection is our most important consideration.”
Niagara’s Business Licensing Division has floated a number of proposed changes over the past month, including allowing individual Taxi drivers to negotiate flat rates and transferring responsibility for vetting drivers to rideshare companies.
Way is concerned that since Ontario downloaded Highway Traffic Act Section 39 responsibilities for vehicle identification onto individual municipalities, Niagara Region is now fully liable for these regulations.
“Some of the changes being considered, like replacing the bolted-on metal Taxi plate with a sticker or allowing rideshare companies to vet and approve their own drivers, may have direct impact on residents’ safety. We need to talk about this,” Way wrote.
“Parents used to tell their children ‘Never get in a car with a stranger.’ Now, parents need to wonder if unmarked cars cruising the streets daytime or nighttime and offering rides to pedestrians are actually professional ground transportation providers or creeps with nefarious motives.”
Way is referring to two incidents last fall in Peel Region, when a man posing as an Uber driver in an unmarked car sexually assaulted two young women he approached at bus stops. These sexual assault incidents were of significant concern to the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, which is now in official communication with the Canadian Taxi Association on the importance of vehicle identification as part of November’s National Crime Prevention Month activities.
“Taxi scams, in which criminals posing as Taxi drivers using fake or stolen roof lights to compromise credit or debit cards, have happened across Canada. Vehicle identification standards have been an important part of paid transportation for over 300 years, and changing them without discussion is dangerously irresponsible,” Way wrote.
“Additionally, Niagara must be aware that the regulatory landscape in Ontario has changed radically since May 13, 2024 when Justice Marc Smith of the Superior Court decided ‘Ottawa was negligent’ in ignoring its own by-laws.
“Therefore, I respectfully request that Niagara Council slow down this review process and take the time required to both provide required notice to the public and industry, and assess community impacts and potential harms.”
