The City of Toronto may soon escalate in its fight against Uber.
In a motion filed by Coun. Jim Karygiannis and seconded by Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker, officials seek to remove the ride-sharing app from all 12,000 of its employees’ smartphones, reports CTV News.
The authors of the motion claim that they wish to “protect our employees from physical harm and protect the taxpayers from financial harm” that could result from UberX drivers lacking commercial auto insurance, especially on rides taken during workday hours.
They continue to state that employees engaging in Uber services would participate in violations of the Highway Traffic Act and the Compulsory Service Act, sending mixed messages about the need to follow provincial laws.
It also calls for city-led agencies and corporations to follow suit, and for the city manager to communicate the risks accompanying “unlicensed and uninsured bandit taxi services.”
“We wouldn't want our own families riding in an unlicensed and uninsured taxi and we certainly don’t want our employees doing that either,” reads the motion.
Uber has operated in Toronto for three years, and held a rally in Nathan Phillips Square earlier this month to garner public support for its survival, according to CP24.
“There are no regulations right now that apply to ridesharing and UberX. We want to work with the city to create those regulations,” Uber Toronto GM Ian Black told the outlet. “We think it should be on the agenda and the hundreds that showed up today think it should be on the agenda too.”
