“Shop local” including Taxis instead of Uber moves ahead

Impacts, effectiveness remain to be seen

Toronto’s version of “Shop Local,” more ambiguously being called “Love Local” cleared Council on March 26th.

Whether the Mayor’s Economic Action Plan in response to United States Tariffs results in a larger portion of ground transportation business being directed to local Taxi and local rideshare firms, and less to American corporations like Uber, remains to be seen.

Beck Taxi’s Kristine Hubbard was one of the authors of the Taxi industry letter sent to Mayor Chow early in March. Abdul Mohamoud of Co-op Cabs; Gulab Dhillon of Toronto 1 Taxi; and Harrison Amit of HOVR also signed the letter. Hubbard is aware that yesterday’s Council vote was only one step in a lengthy process.

“Especially now, I’m not spending time being skeptical. I don’t have the bandwidth to listen to what is coming from the states, and to criticize what little any municipality can do to fight back,” Hubbard told Taxi News.

“I have to hope, or I wouldn’t still be here I guess.”

Item #10 of the Mayor’s Plan reads,

“10.Directing day-to-day spending by City staff to Canadian-owned and local choices
The Plan also outlines calls to action to the provincial and federal governments,
businesses and residents in four areas: affordability; housing; mobility of people and
goods; and skills and technology (more details can be found in Attachment 1). However,
a significant part of the Plan is centered on the City of Toronto leading by example. City
administrative practices are being adjusted to support the local economy and reduce
reliance on US suppliers. The City will be:

• limiting employee travel to the United States to essential business travel only,
  requiring approval by the City Manager;
• limiting low-value business and employee expenses from US-owned retailers;
  and,
• limiting employee use of US-based ridesharing platforms where locally-owned
  alternatives exist. (emphasis Taxi News)