“Taxi,” “Uber,” get no mention at FIFA presser

“Rideshare,” “Ground transportation,” “Accessible” also left out

At a press conference to demonstrate Toronto is ready for FIFA in June, the words “Taxi,” “Uber,” “rideshare,” “ground transportation” and “Accessible” were conspicuous by their absence.

“We have learned from previous major sporting events, including the playoffs and the World Series, and we’ve also adopted best practices and tactics from international partners who have hosted major soccer events in the past,” Chief of Toronto Police Services Myron Demkiw told assembled media. “Of course, we will continue to work with all our partners until and during the event, including here in the TAC.” TAC is the short form being used for the Toronto Integrated Safety and Security Unit Area Command Center, the a $12.5-million central operations facility unveiled by Toronto officials in May 2026 to manage security and emergency coordination for the FIFA World Cup and other major city events.

“I do want to take this opportunity to thank all our members sworn and civilian professional alike, for the extraordinary work they do each and every day keeping our city safe. I also want to acknowledge and thank our FIFA planning team for all their efforts getting us prepared to host the world. And I also want to thank the Toronto Police Service Board, the Mayor, and City Council for investing in the Toronto Police Service and for supporting our multiyear hiring plan that allows us to hire more police officers. And meet the growing needs of our city. We will do everything we can to ensure that Torontonians and visitors have a safe and memorable FIFA World Cup experience,” Demkiw said.

Mayor Olivia Chow said in her remarks, “We have been preparing for everything from crowd management to emergency response to making sure people can get where they need to go safely and reliably. This includes a transit-first approach with more services to help move residents and visitors efficiently and measures in place to manage traffic and reduce congestion.”

Taxi industry representative Behrouz Khamseh told Taxi News earlier this spring that he feared Toronto had not dedicated enough waiting areas for Taxi and other ground transportation vehicles within any reasonable distance of the stadium.