Toronto needs to ensure drivers make a living while emissions reduced, Chow says in ground-breaking remarks

Earnings, emissions, congestion must all be part of a “good framework”

Below is the transcript of Mayor Chow’s remarks to Council on October 11, 2023, regarding the Economic Development Committee’s report on all-electric Vehicles for Hire:

“(Councillor) Holyday is correct. It’s about money.

But it’s also about greenhouse gas emissions:  33 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto is caused by transportation. When you have 53,000 drivers, plus 7000 Taxis, it matters.

 It’s also about congestion. Because there had been report that said, not from the staff from University of Toronto that said 13 per cent of the congestion in downtown Toronto costs by vehicle for hire.

And it is also about public transit. Because a good number (of riders), it said 49 per of them, we’ve taken from public transit.

So, it is ultimately about greenhouse gas emission, but I want to focus on money.

I said earlier on this morning, that I was at the food bank, and then 40 per cent of the people that are using food banks have a job, I guarantee you some of them are drivers. They’re making $8 an hour, that’s half of minimum wage.

Whether they’re taxi drivers, or Uber drivers, or Lyft drivers, it is a difficult life. And a lot of them are immigrants. Okay? They can’t find another job.

Let me tell you a story about Elsa. She immigrated here in 2017 drive for Uber, she’s single mom, she says she can no longer provides for her family because of the numbers of drivers. So, she now has to work twice as many hours just to pay the bills. But guess what? Her kids don’t get a chance to see her. She’s worrying about her kids. Because there’s just no time left for them. She’s working all the time.

 I remember when my dad passed away, I was rummaging through his stuff, found a taxi certificate or whatever we call it, a card. Now, he had never made it as a taxi driver. He tried for a month or so he just got lost all the time. This was before GPS times; he couldn’t tell what the what the dispatcher was telling him it was just completely disaster.

But a lot of new immigrants to Canada rely on the beginning of driving something. So, it’s important to protect their living. Some people said what happened? Can you do a cap like in New York? The mayor in 2018, put a cap on for one year pause.

And then, in 2019 Uber made a legal challenge in February. It was dismissed by November 2019. And at that time, New York said, ‘Can we check what is the report back? What is the traffic congestion levels drivers pay, attrition rate?’ An-all comprehensive study came back determined fleet size.

 So, they actually made a clear statement on the number of drivers that are needed in New York City. And then after they make that determination, they removed to the cap or whatever you want to call it, then they monitor the situation they adjust it. Now in 2023, they have a framework in place.

Boy, that’s what we need to do. I totally support, yes, we need more green cars. But you know, they’ve really expensive to buy a lot of Uber drivers or taxi drivers are saying they don’t have the money to buy it. So, which is why we need this kind of study, this kind end of motion, let’s support them. Let’s see how we can be done. Have staff come back when the entire framework is done.

Let’s wrap it up and do it logically based on fleet size, greenhouse gas emission, congestion level public transit drivers. And yes, I do support councillor, Deputy mayor McKelvie’s amendment to get more information out there. I hope our staff, when they come back, look at what New York did. And also, there are a lot of good ideas here. And yes, we could during this time consult, talk to folks as to what is the best way. What is the right number? How do we do it? Let’s talk to them. And there’s nothing to stop our staff to report back from the consultation that they will have, whether they want to report back three months, six months, I don’t want to put a time limit on it. Because it sounds like they’re very busy with a lot of reports, let’s not add anymore.

But at the meantime, yes, go out to consult. But there’s some things you don’t give notification, whether it’s income tax, or when you want to cap something, you need to do it immediately. You know, why, if not, everybody’s going to rush out and get all the licenses. As well, let’s not have a moratorium. It could add another 10,000 to the 53,000, right? So, that’s why I’m supporting counselor Bravo’s motion, the amendments and Colle’s – what do you call it moratorium or cap?

Because we need to put a real good framework, a good system in place so that drivers can make a living and that we would have a good system without contributing too much to the congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Thank you, Madame Chair.”