Toronto taxi drivers are set to hold a protest against ride-sharing service Uber on Wednesday morning that is expected to create major traffic delays in the city.
A statement released Tuesday said the demonstration is aimed at urging city officials to “enforce the existing laws regarding Uber, including Uber X.”
Starting at 7:30 a.m., more than 2,000 taxis will gather at four undisclosed locations around the city and then follow a planned route to Queen’s Park and City Hall.
“In Toronto, it has been over two months since the city updated their bylaw, but, Uber has yet to come into compliance,” the release said.
UberX, Uber Canada's most popular service, has been operating in Toronto for a year. The service connects app users with people who have signed up to be drivers using their own vehicles.
The service has been able to get around the city's laws, claiming that UberX is a communication service, not a cab company. So far, drivers working for UberX don't have to purchase taxi licences or complete the required taxi-training program, allowing Uber to charge significantly less per ride than a traditional cab.
As a result, some cab drivers say they have seen up to a 70 per cent reduction in business over the last year, with many of them on the verge of no longer being able to operate.
The city’s Municipal Licensing Committee is in the process of coming up with a “regulatory framework” for all ground transportation in the city, including Uber.
The new framework will ensure Uber will be required to apply as a taxi brokerage and pay an annual fee. That means Uber will only be allowed to connect users with licensed cabs.
A report on the new framework is expected to come before council in the Spring.
In September, Toronto taxi companies and the city also agreed to reduce the base fare of cab rides from $4.25 to $3.25 to make traditional cabs more competitive with Uber.
Not all taxi companies or groups representing cab drivers are in favour of Wednesday’s protest.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Toronto Taxi Alliance said “it does not support any tactic which will disrupt traffic or transportation for Toronto drivers and residents.”
Despite being one of the strongest voices against Uber, Beck Taxi has also asked its drivers to not participate in the event.