Torontonians are driving more since pandemic began, city report finds
A City of Toronto report says people are travelling through the city more since the pandemic began, but deciding to drive more than other modes — a situation that could spell danger as the holiday season approaches, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
MADD’s CEO Andrew Murie told CTV News Toronto he’s hoping that the city does more to encourage other modes of transportation, including by licensing more drivers for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to give people plenty of options to get home other than drinking and driving.
“We’re going to have no drivers available, and when they’re available the costs will be through the roof. And people are going to make really bad decisions. We’re actually going to put drunk driving back to where it was before ride-hailing,” Murie argued.
The report also shows that ride-hailing delays in the city have risen from about 2.5 minutes to just under 6 minutes a trip.
“If you or I had a cardiac arrest right now, it would take on average about six minutes for an ambulance to pick you up — that’s still extremely fast,” said Thorben Wieditz of RideFairTO.
The city report says ride-hailing trips dropped to 15 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in April 2020. Friday and Saturday night trips were most affected.
By July 2021, that had recovered to about 43 per cent. That’s a faster recovery than transit — at 38 per cent as of July — and even walking — at 33 per cent, the report said.
Downtown bicycling has recovered to about 76 per cent, and downtown vehicle volumes are at about 74 per cent, the report said.
One explanation could be the perception of safety, said Shauna Brail, an associate professor in the Institute for Management and Innovation at the University of Toronto.
“There’s a greater sense or perception of safety in terms of transmission of disease in a ride-hailing vehicle than on public transit,” she said. “Whether that’s true or not is a totally different matter.”
The TTC has cut some service after suspending some workers who had not conformed to its vaccine mandate.
And the City of Toronto has paused issuing vehicle for hire licenses after it emerged that it was offering thousands of drivers licenses despite not providing mandatory training that had been ordered by Toronto’s city council.
The issuing will resume once a driver training accreditation course is established and applicants have completed a driver training course.
Councillors made the move in response to a fatal crash involving an Uber driver in 2018 — but the pandemic delayed its implementation.
The report said that the number of ride-hailing trips fluctuated with public health orders, showing day-to-day impacts of decisions that Toronto residents made in response to COVID-19 concerns.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.