Taxi Associations call upon Aviva to make new insurance available to cab drivers, report on product sales

TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - The Toronto Taxi Alliance (TTA) today repeated requests for information it sent to Aviva's CEO on January 29^th.

In a letter to Aviva CEO Greg Sommerville signed by TTA President Gail Souter and Canadian Taxicab Association (CTA) President Marc Andre Way, the TTA and CTA wrote:

"We in the legal, regulated taxi industry are perplexed as to how it is possible for any Ontario insurance company to insure an illegal activity, such as UberX. In fact, one of our city councillors has written Finance Minister Charles Sousa to inquire as to how his ministry could approve an insurance product for an activity which violates the Highway Traffic Act."

Among the requests the TTA and CTA made of Aviva were:

• That Aviva agree to release the number of such endorsements actually sold: "As we have been informed by a number of insurance professionals, the fact that a commercial endorsement (for example, the OPCF 6A) is AVAILABLE does not mean any UberX drivers will purchase it.

"We are very concerned that an Aviva announcement that 'an approved product exists and is available for purchase' will be misconstrued by politicians to mean '20,000 illegal UberX drivers are now insured.'

"The fact that a product is available does not mean that thousands of UberX drivers are going to announce that they are picking up paying passengers, and purchase Aviva insurance with the new endorsement.

"More likely, they will continue to do what they are doing now: carry only a personal policy and refrain from notifying their insurance company they are carrying passengers for compensation. Release of information on the actual number of endorsements purchased will give politicians more accurate information on which to base their debates and decisions."

• That when this new hybrid endorsement is actually available, Aviva make it available to licensed, regulated taxi drivers who meet the same conditions being set out for UberX drivers.

"I trust you will agree that everyone – consumers, service providers, elected officials and the insurance industry itself – will be well and fairly served with the release of the above information."

SOURCE Toronto Taxi Alliance

contact Rita Smith at 647 242 5505 or [email protected]