Dear Friends,By now many of you are aware of the debate in the city regarding Uber vs. Taxi. If you have seen me on TV taking an aggressive pro-taxi stance you may have questions about why and as your councillor I am here to answer.
First, I have always taken a pro-taxi approach in support of the hundreds of taxi drivers and dispatchers who live in our community. A lot of the men and women who are taxi workers have come to this country to live a life they would not otherwise be able to live in their home countries. Driving and dispatching are their full time jobs, not just part time jobs that many Uber X drivers use to supplement their current full time jobs. I want to ensure that the hardworking people of the taxi industry will not be left jobless by the introduction of ridesharing apps that allow those companies to set their own rates while the taxi industry’s hands are tied by the City.
A1 Taxi, Able Taxi, A Black Cab, Imperial Taxi, Maple Leaf Taxi, Co-Op Taxi, Crown Taxi, Peel Taxi Alliance, Royal Taxi, City Taxi, Beck Taxi, Blueline Taxi, Diamond Taxi and more have all voiced their support in standing up for the most vulnerable, hard-working immigrant workers in this city. This issue is no different than David and Goliath, and I have chosen to take David’s side. I have always said that Uber would be welcome if they wanted to play by the same rules that all other taxi brokerages have always adhered to. Which leads to the other main issue with Uber - they do not charge HST and therefore do not pay taxes to the government. The legal Taxi Industry start collecting HST as soon as a customer steps into a cab. This gives Uber, who does not collect HST, an automatic 13 percent advantage and it means the Government loses revenue which it then must make up from other taxpayers – that is not fair.
Based on the phone calls I was receiving I felt the need to organize with the taxi industry so that we could come up with an action plan to ensure the safety of their livelihoods. My first step was to create a petition in support of the Taxi industry. Within hours, more than a thousand people signed the petition, and more continued to do so at an astounding pace. Then, I called on every taxi driver, fleet owner, and dispatcher to meet with me at my constituency office to formulate a proper strategy on the next step to take. On Sept. 23, hundreds of taxi industry workers from all over the GTA and others who support the taxi industry came out to my constituency office in a display of strength. I once again apologize to all those who were affected by the traffic on Islington that morning. After the rally a letter was sent to the Prime Minister and the Federal Government requesting them to act immediately to guarantee that everyone collects the appropriate tax so as not to shift the burden to other taxpayers. Uber says that they want to be good corporate citizens and play by the rules, then collecting HST as everyone else in the taxi industry must do is a good place to start.
We are taking these actions to protect the integrity of our by-laws, to ensure that an important component of our transportation network continues and to ensure the livelihoods of many of your friends and neighbours. I believe that this is vital in order to provide Toronto residents a safe, clean, reliable ride at an affordable price, which is also available to the disabled community and is not subject to price gouging in times of emergencies, extreme weather, or TTC shutdown. Everyone wanting to do business in the City of Toronto is welcome to do so as long as they respect the law.
Ward 7 Councillor
Giorgio Mammoliti.
“Views expressed in Councillor’s Corner are those of the Councillor and may not necessarily reflect those of the Emery village Voice or the BIA”