Putting Riders and Drivers First

Today, local Uber riders and driver partners are rallying at City Hall to support ridesharing and the many benefits it brings to Toronto. They are among the hundreds of thousands of Torontonians who love and rely on Uber, but are concerned the City of Toronto will take it away from them.

Since our September 2014 uberX launch, millions of rides have been arranged through the Uber platform in our city.

There are people, faces and stories behind each of these rides – and they should weigh heavily in encouraging City Council to embrace ridesharing in Toronto.

Too often, the perspective of the ‘riding public’ is ignored, in favour of industry lobby groups. However, Uber riders have been loud and clear in advocating for the freedom to choose the affordability, reliability and safety of the Uber platform, rather than have their transportation choices limited by old fashioned regulations.

Over the past few weeks, thousands of riders and drivers have been sending personal messages to their Councillors saying they support Uber in Toronto. And with the interest in today’s rally, it is clear that Torontonians want ridesharing to stay. Uber has become an integral part of Toronto’s transportation network and it has done so by putting people – both riders and drivers – first.

We commend Mayor Tory for his leadership in advocating for innovation and consumer interests. But it’s time for City Council to act. The City can, and should, create regulations for ridesharing, along the lines of the reasonable model set out in dozens of U.S. cities and states.

We are ready to work with the City on such regulations, that protect riders and drivers, without hindering innovation and job creation. We are humbled by the support of our riders and driver partners who continue to fuel the exceptional growth of ridesharing in Toronto, and we will continue to create innovative solutions that work for them.

Uber on,
Ian Black
General Manager, Uber Ontario