Cabbies could clog HOV lanes during Pan Am Games to protest Uber

Toronto’s taxi industry says it is being run out of business by unregulated rival Uber and it’s urging the city to crack down on the ride sharing service, threatening to disrupt the Pan Am Games unless changes are made.

CityNews reporter Cristina Howorun spoke to several cabbies who said they were willing to clog temporary Pan Am HOV lanes to get their message across.

Under the rules, taxis are allowed to use the HOV lanes, which are designed to usher athletes to their competitions on time.

Representatives from the taxi industry were at city hall on Thursday, urging a crack down to level the playing field.

Sajid Mughal, president of the iTaxiworkers Association, said he doesn’t want to see the games affected, but blames Mayor John Tory and police chief Mark Saunders if it happens.

“It’s not us that want to shut down the city,” he stressed. “It’s the mayor who’s pushing. It’s the police chief who is pushing this cab industry to take any job action.”

Mughal says Uber, and specifically UberX, which allows unlicensed drivers to offer rides in their own vehicles, flagrantly violates city bylaws, which aren’t being enforced by police.

Unless that changes, job action could turn an already messy traffic situation during the Pan Am Games into an even bigger nightmare.

“Get ready for anything,” he warned. “Anything is possible.”

In May, hundreds of taxi drivers protested Uber by blocking Bay Street in front of city hall.

Sam Moini, who represents taxi fleet operators, said the cabbies are running out of options, and need to make a strong point to ensure their economic survival.

“You always ask us about the protest, what would you do if your livelihood was taken from you? We don’t want that to happen…we expect the city of Toronto to respect the taxi industry.”

“You can’t expect the drivers not to be frustrated.”

“When you guys ask us to compete, you can not compete with a company that’s disobeying the law. We have rules and regulations we follow. We expect them to be enforced.”

In November, the City of Toronto filed a court injunction to halt Uber’s operations in Toronto, saying it was “jeopardizing public safety.”

At the time, the city’s executive director of municipal licensing and standards, Tracey Cook, said Uber is operating as an “unlicensed, unregulated taxi cab service” using vehicles that haven’t been properly inspected or insured.

The city’s injunction application cites five Uber services — UberTaxi, UberBlack, UberSUV, UberX and UberXLcease.

The case is still before the courts.

Mayor John Tory has vocally supported Uber, saying it’s “here to stay” while admitting a compromise has to be found.

His stance irks Mughal.

“The legal cab drivers, the legal industry is suffering,” he fumed on Thursday. “And illegal activity — the mayor is promoting that.”

“UberX has killed the cab business,” he added. “Uber, if they want to get the licence and do the business (they are) welcome. Drivers would love it. But UberX is the thing that is killing the cab industry. This is an illegal industry and the taxi industry can not compete with that.

“If the mayor wants us to compete with that, let’s abolish all the bylaws.”