Taxi owner responds to “Working Group” invitations from Licensing on data, emissions

The city that approved adding 100,000 vehicles for hire to the roads is asking industry opinions on emissions. Photo: Nabeel Syed/Unsplash

Open Letter to: Fiona Chapman, Director, Business Licensing and Regulatory Services, City of Toronto

August 16, 2022

*****

Hello Ms. Chapman,

I don’t normally respond to taxi issues any longer as it’s become quite clear no one is listening. 

However, I felt that I should speak up for the record regarding this particular issue today. 

It is my understanding that the City of Toronto has been trying for decades to collect trip data and other related information about the taxi industry for internal use. Not only does the City not actually need this data, but if I understand correctly, it has been deemed illegal to collect it on several occasions in the past. 

Yet, here we are again, with the City trying to find a way around these laws they don’t like, for no beneficial purpose to anyone but themselves. The other working group being proposed regarding “emissions” is similarly infuriating since it was the City itself who authorized almost 100,000 additional vehicles to be on the road, literally pulling over 50% of ridership away from public transit. Yet again, they want to talk to “taxis” about the issue, rather than address the situation they themselves created. 

I mean, we all know where this is going – EV vehicles mandated for the cab industry. Because 2,000 EV cars on the road is going to solve everything. And it will be an easy sell, because it will be entirely at the taxi industry’s expense. What’s the problem, right?

If past is prologue, the City will go ahead with these “working groups” then declare the results, which will be whatever it is the City wants them to be, regardless of who says what. Then it will be presented to Council in a staff report and passed without any discussion or debate. Comment or adjustment will be forbidden for at least a year at which point another “report” on the changes will be issued 12 hours before it is to be voted on, preventing anyone from even reading the report, let alone proposing changes. We’ve seen this playbook before. It hasn’t changed. 

I understand that the City must put on this charade so that they can claim proper procedure was followed and “industry input” was received. But I hope you can appreciate my significant disdain for the entire process that has never once actually addressed anything the industry actually needs to discuss. 

I do acknowledge that you are in a difficult position here and I am not directing my anger and resentment at you personally. It is however infuriating to see this exact same thing play out repeatedly with absolutely no ability to speak up or have any meaningful say. The City has continued to dictate terms regardless of the damage being done. Not just to the taxi industry, but the general public as well.

I would also point out that I thoroughly read a number of communications between Uber and various City staff that had been released under an FOI request. The one thing that leapt out at me was the City’s demand for extensive data collection, trip data and information regarding Uber’s operations, operators and trips. Information is power. And it was very clearly this willingness to supply whatever information – legal or otherwise – the City requested that helped secure Uber’s position on our streets. 

I’m once again terribly disappointed in the City’s disregard for those they are in charge of supporting and protecting. But I’m just a lowly cabbie, so nevermind me.

Best Regards,

David Reti