Cabbies cancel UberX protest
Taxi drivers agree to work this weekend’s all-star event
A last-ditch appeal by Toronto councillors and tourism officials helped convince taxi industry leaders to call off a protest that would have snarled Toronto streets during the NBA allstar weekend.
“Emotions overran us. . . . There will be no strike for the NBA all-star weekend,” Paul Sekhon, of the newly formed United Taxi Workers Association, told reporters Wednesday at Toronto city hall.
But Sekhon and other taxi representatives, just out of a meeting with city councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam, Janet Davis and Glenn De Baeremaeker, warned the city must take action against UberX or they will take action after the weekend.
“We’re not saying we’re calling (the protest) off forever,” said Sam Moini, president of the Fleet Operators Association.
Before the taxi officials spoke, all three councillors told Toronto via news cameras that UberX — which uses an app to connect passengers with non-professional drivers using their personal vehicles — is illegal and they should not use it this Family Day weekend or any time.
De Baeremaeker called the cheap and popular UberX service unsafe, unfair and illegal. “If you love somebody, do not let them get into an Uber taxi,” urged the Scarborough councillor.
Moini said the meeting marked the first time cabbies — desperate as their livelihood collapses to competition from unregulated UberX — felt they had really been heard at city hall and got public acknowledgement that the rival service is illegal. Wong-Tam, whose downtown ward includes the Air Canada Centre, said of cabbies: “We need to treat them with a level of fairness and a level of respect,” and keep working to level the playing field between them and unregulated UberX drivers.
About two weeks ago, some Toronto taxi representatives started talking about using the international spotlight on the first NBA All-Star Game played outside the U.S. to pressure city hall into making a second attempt to get an injunction to shut down Uber.
The city solicitor had told them it was prudent to wait until city staff release proposed regulations to level the playing field between taxis and Uber, and see if Uber agrees, or risk facing a second loss in court.
The Toronto Taxi Alliance, which along with Beck Taxi had argued against a protest this week, now says it will privately apply for an injunction against Uber.