Toronto’s latest bylaw for ride-hailing services, such as Uber, Lyft and taxicabs, came into effect this week to improve safety and accessibility.
The city’s new "vehicle-for-hire" regulations, which went into effect Wednesday, mean major changes for drivers, but not so much for passengers.
Here’s what the changes mean:
Driving experience
The new bylaw means that drivers of ride-hailing services, including Uber, Lyft, taxicabs and limousines, must have a minimum of three years of required driving experience.
Training program
The bylaw also states that all drivers need to successfully complete a city-approved training program in order to get a license of a renewal. The training is expected to cover various topics, including transporting passengers in a safe manner, driving in an urban setting, providing accessible service, anti-racism, diversity and sensitivity and legal requirements.
‘Watch for bike’ notices
Drivers will now be required to post “watch for bike” notices to their vehicles. In addition to those notices, private ride-hailing companies will have to send notifications through their app to remind passengers to watch for cyclists before exiting a vehicle.
Mounting hand-held devices
The bylaw asks drivers to securely mount their hand-held devices and smartphones in their vehicles.
Cameras inside vehicle
The bylaw insists that all drivers will need to have notices in their vehicle if a camera is being used to record passengers.
Accessibility fund
The bylaw also introduces a new accessibility fund helping to offset the cost of providing wheelchair accessible services. The program will be funded by charging ride-hailing companies not providing wheelchair accessible service. The funds will be disbursed to wheelchair-accessible taxicab owners and drivers.
