A renewed sense of patriotism in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff and annexation threats has resulted in a “Buy Local” movement embraced by the City of Toronto.
But local taxi and ride-hail companies want to make sure they’re not left out while American giants like Uber and Lyft continue to rake in fares.
Canadian companies Beck Taxi, Co-op Cabs, Toronto 1 Taxi, and HOVR have written an open letter to the City, asking for inclusion in Toronto’s “Buy Local, Buy Canadian” campaign that encourages Toronto residents and businesses to purchase local goods and services.
“U.S. tech companies, among the Trump administration’s biggest backers, have taken over too
many Canadian markets, reshaping our laws and regulations to build monopoly power,” the letter reads. “The ride-hailing industry is a prime example.”
The letter says the emergence of the U.S. companies has increased congestion, siphoned money away from the TTC, lowered earnings for drivers and subjected customers to surge pricing models.
“We can do better,” they wrote. “Canadian companies can easily step in to connect Torontonians with their next ride home. App-based ride-hailing and payments are now offered by many local taxi companies as well as HOVR, a new Canadian ride-hailing platform.”
The group is urging council to “adopt partnership, procurement and staff reimbursement policies that commit to patronizing domestic and local vehicle-for-hire ride sourcing,” and “ban the use of U.S.-based ride sourcing apps on city-issued property or for city business.”
The group says it doesn’t want workers for those U.S. companies to be hurt though, and is pleading with the City to make changes to it easier for them to work for Canadian companies.
“If Uber/Lyft threaten to leave the city, they can’t take drivers with them,” they wrote. “But council has to support existing and emerging Canadian alternatives.”
The group wants council to “make it easier for drivers to work for Canadian companies by immediately moving drivers over to a single, city-issued licence that can be used to work for any city-licensed dispatcher or platform.”
