iTaxiworkers Association Responds to Toronto Taxi Alliance Suit Against City

TORONTO, April 30, 2014 /CNW/ - The iTaxiworkers Association is shocked but not surprised by the Toronto Taxi Alliance's (TTA) decision to sue the city in an attempt to block the taxi industry reforms passed by city council in February.

The TTA's claims are groundless. Its only motivation is to maintain the status quo in the taxi industry, which is unacceptable as it involves the gross exploitation of thousands of shift drivers, who are forced to pay exorbitant fees to garages, agents and Standard licence owners. After paying these fees, shift drivers are compelled to work 12- to 16-hour days, six and seven days a week, just to make their own money.

"The TTA is made up of people who have dominated the taxi industry for too long," said iTaxiworkers Association President Sajid Mughal. "They don't want fairness for drivers, they don't want to see more equity across the industry."

The TTA is comprised of owners, taxicab fleet operators and agents.

"They claim the process was illegal – the process by councillors in City Hall Chambers, with city managers and officials present," said Mughal. "It's a preposterous and ridiculous claim. They are grasping at straws. They're so desperate to stop the reforms from beginning on July 1 this year, they will do anything."

City council approved a number of motions from the city's review of the taxi industry, including voting in favour of a staff report, with some amendments.

The staff report took over two years to complete following input from over 4,000 people from public consultations and meetings, anonymous website submissions and over 2,000 shift drivers attending a consultation meeting in November 2013. The iTaxiworkers Association submitted a written brief in February 2012.

City council approved the industry reforms in February, in a 31-12 vote (two councilors were absent).

The iTaxiworkers Association hails the reforms as a huge victory for all drivers, shift drivers and Ambassador licence holders. The reforms focus on the public, customers and taxi drivers as the stakeholders who matter most.

Implementing the new Toronto Taxicab Licence (TTL) over the next 10 years will vastly improve the industry's capacity to deliver metered on-demand taxi service to people with disabilities and mobility issues, which is long overdue.

SOURCE: iTAXIWORKERS Association

Sajid Mughal, President, iTaxiworkers Association, 647-836-2930, [email protected]