DKsan
Active Member
The whole livestream is a massive shitshow.
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Taxis and ride-sharing in Toronto
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
- Start date
CodeMonkey
Active Member
If Tim Hudak (yes that Hudak) gets his private members bill passed committee, and that's a big IF, then it doesn't matter what Toronto decides since it will overule the City in this regard.
Here is the link: Bill 131 - Opportunity in the Sharing Economy Act, 2015, that is before committee that would enable Uber to operate all over Ontario. I haven't read into it fully yet, but it notes changes will occur to the City of Toronto act.
Here is the link: Bill 131 - Opportunity in the Sharing Economy Act, 2015, that is before committee that would enable Uber to operate all over Ontario. I haven't read into it fully yet, but it notes changes will occur to the City of Toronto act.
salsa
Senior Member
I didn't watch any of it, but given that Karygiannis is now trending on twitter, that says everything I need to know about how it went.
TrickyRicky
Senior Member
Uber threatens to leave Toronto and eliminate 15,000 jobs!
What a joke. Dear Uber, go ahead and leave and take those 15,000 "jobs". Other ride-sharing outfits that aren't douchebags will fill in to take your place.
What a joke. Dear Uber, go ahead and leave and take those 15,000 "jobs". Other ride-sharing outfits that aren't douchebags will fill in to take your place.
DSC
Superstar
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I normally try to avoid the Sun but this is in today's issue:
Right-wing councillor hypocrisy on Uber
TORONTO - The Uber debate at Toronto City Hall makes for some very strange bedfellows — agreement of left- and right-wing city councillors — who are opposed to the popular ride-sharing service.
Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan once observed that government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
The problem is the councillors don’t get the joke.
It is disappointing but unsurprising that the left-wing block of councillors wants to tax and regulate the successful and popular ride-sharing service until it stops.
The left tend to think they know what’s best for us. They believe their wisdom compels them to protect the travelling public from making a free choice of hopping into any vehicle that doesn’t meet with their personal stamp of approval down to the most minute detail.
These councillors — who claim to look out for the hardworking cab drivers — would shut down the very service that has finally given drivers an out from the grip of the wealthy licence owners, middlemen, and brokerages that skim the lion’s share of any driver’s daily earnings.
That kind of micromanagement resulted in Toronto’s nearly 100 pages of ground transportation regulations that gave us everything but the good customer service and affordability they promised.
There are right-wing councillors engaging in their own form of hypocrisy — especially those on the licensing and standards committee.
There simply is no compelling conservative or common sense argument that says we should turn Uber into another run-of-the-mill cab company as these councillors want to do. Competitive markets improve quality, invite innovation and provide incentive for better customer service — core conservative beliefs. Consumer choice keeps parties honest and rewards hard work.
Bizarrely, one so-called right-of-centre councillor called for all cabs and all personal vehicles using the Uber app to be painted the exact same colour. Another said the city should ban Uber’s surge pricing that encourages more cars to hit the streets in periods of high demand, gives customers the option to say no, and notifies them when prices come back down. A third allegedly conservative councillor sought to cap the total number of taxi, limousine or ride-sharing licences altogether.
These three councillors support, it appears, a world of drab sameness, one without choice and with extra long delays. Somewhere Stalin is nodding vigorously.
Centre-right politicians usually believe that when government gets into bed with big business to fix prices, it’s the consumers who always lose. Government-created monopolies are a last resort, not a best option.
So what has caused the right-of-centre politicians to embrace policies that they otherwise ridicule when espoused by the left? It’s a phenomenon known in government as regulatory capture. They got too cosy with those they regulate in the cab sector.
We expect overregulation and wrong-headed micromanagement from the left of city council. But it’s fair to expect they would understand that taxi drivers are better off with some welcomed choice in employer. The right-of-centre councillors should get out of City Hall, away from the lobbyists and get back to basic principles of competition in the market place and rewarding good service.
Their current slavish advocacy on behalf of the corporate interests of the licence owners — and against the clear choices of consumers — is the ugliest form of conservatism.
— Hudak is MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Right-wing councillor hypocrisy on Uber
TORONTO - The Uber debate at Toronto City Hall makes for some very strange bedfellows — agreement of left- and right-wing city councillors — who are opposed to the popular ride-sharing service.
Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan once observed that government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
The problem is the councillors don’t get the joke.
It is disappointing but unsurprising that the left-wing block of councillors wants to tax and regulate the successful and popular ride-sharing service until it stops.
The left tend to think they know what’s best for us. They believe their wisdom compels them to protect the travelling public from making a free choice of hopping into any vehicle that doesn’t meet with their personal stamp of approval down to the most minute detail.
These councillors — who claim to look out for the hardworking cab drivers — would shut down the very service that has finally given drivers an out from the grip of the wealthy licence owners, middlemen, and brokerages that skim the lion’s share of any driver’s daily earnings.
That kind of micromanagement resulted in Toronto’s nearly 100 pages of ground transportation regulations that gave us everything but the good customer service and affordability they promised.
There are right-wing councillors engaging in their own form of hypocrisy — especially those on the licensing and standards committee.
There simply is no compelling conservative or common sense argument that says we should turn Uber into another run-of-the-mill cab company as these councillors want to do. Competitive markets improve quality, invite innovation and provide incentive for better customer service — core conservative beliefs. Consumer choice keeps parties honest and rewards hard work.
Bizarrely, one so-called right-of-centre councillor called for all cabs and all personal vehicles using the Uber app to be painted the exact same colour. Another said the city should ban Uber’s surge pricing that encourages more cars to hit the streets in periods of high demand, gives customers the option to say no, and notifies them when prices come back down. A third allegedly conservative councillor sought to cap the total number of taxi, limousine or ride-sharing licences altogether.
These three councillors support, it appears, a world of drab sameness, one without choice and with extra long delays. Somewhere Stalin is nodding vigorously.
Centre-right politicians usually believe that when government gets into bed with big business to fix prices, it’s the consumers who always lose. Government-created monopolies are a last resort, not a best option.
So what has caused the right-of-centre politicians to embrace policies that they otherwise ridicule when espoused by the left? It’s a phenomenon known in government as regulatory capture. They got too cosy with those they regulate in the cab sector.
We expect overregulation and wrong-headed micromanagement from the left of city council. But it’s fair to expect they would understand that taxi drivers are better off with some welcomed choice in employer. The right-of-centre councillors should get out of City Hall, away from the lobbyists and get back to basic principles of competition in the market place and rewarding good service.
Their current slavish advocacy on behalf of the corporate interests of the licence owners — and against the clear choices of consumers — is the ugliest form of conservatism.
— Hudak is MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
pstogios
Senior Member
Nicely said by Hudak (not someone I normally agree with).
His perplexity of why the left and right are united against Uber can be explained by one simple fact: they are paid by and bought by the taxi industry.
Money talks by friends, money talks. We have full scale corruption right in our midst.
I'd kill to know how much the taxi lobby is paying the likes of Jim Karygiannis and Janet Davis.
His perplexity of why the left and right are united against Uber can be explained by one simple fact: they are paid by and bought by the taxi industry.
Money talks by friends, money talks. We have full scale corruption right in our midst.
I'd kill to know how much the taxi lobby is paying the likes of Jim Karygiannis and Janet Davis.
salsa
Senior Member
Palma
Senior Member
does anyone have a clue what city council will do?
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
Are we getting a livestream?
Palma
Senior Member
they just broke for lunch
nfitz
Superstar
My prediction is that they'll spend the entire day debating this, and come back tomorrow to finish, and come up with some non-sensical motion that get's approved, that makes it difficult for either Uber or traditional cabs to operate. Then later on tomorrow, they'll mess up Bloor Street as well, before coming back on Thursday to deal with most of the agenda.
pstogios
Senior Member
Livestream is here:
Based on the councillors that have spoken already, it is looking very bad for Uber.
It's incredible how socialist our council is (the lefties that is). And the right is beholden to the taxi lobby. It's downright disgusting.
Based on the councillors that have spoken already, it is looking very bad for Uber.
It's incredible how socialist our council is (the lefties that is). And the right is beholden to the taxi lobby. It's downright disgusting.
Why can't they figure it out like Ottawa did? http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...s-on-bylaw-changes-that-would-make-uber-legal
Palma
Senior Member
You cannot tell the Uber drivers in cars. They are not going to stop Uber or whoever comes along. Does the city and tax drivers think they will stop driverless cars? Are they going to ban them to allow taxi drivers to keep on working? This is insane especially because its the plate owners benefitting. What a joke this is
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Funny, and I don't believe DoFo should even be here, or that a mayor should smoke crack, drink on the job, give out 20s, etc.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say the former councillor comes by to voice for votes - or relevance.
AoD