Item - 2021.GL27.19

Tracking Status

GL27.19 - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on December 15, 16 and 17, 2021, adopted the following:

 

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C - Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards to maintain, throughout 2022, the temporary 75 percent reduction on the Vehicle-for-Hire Accessibility Fund Program regulatory charges, approved by Council in February 2021.

 

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Interim Director, Environment and Energy and The Atmospheric Fund, to establish a Vehicle-for-Hire group, under the already established Electric Vehicle Working Group, that brings relevant stakeholders together to develop a strategy to accelerate emissions reductions and electrification of the vehicle-for-hire industry, including considerations for equity and potential implementation challenges for any proposed advice; the results of this work shall be considered by the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards as an input to the development of any requirements or programs that seek to reduce emissions in the Vehicle-for-Hire industry. 

 

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to set a goal of Net Zero for 2030 for vehicles for hire, and to align the plans for vehicle electrification and emissions reduction to achieve this goal.

 

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report back in the first quarter 2023 on recommended by-law updates and complementary programs to achieve the vehicle electrification and emissions reductions targets for the vehicle-for-hire industry, including outcomes of the proposed Vehicle-for-Hire group under the Electric Vehicle Working Group, and results of the third-party vehicle-for-hire emissions study, with implementation beginning by the end of 2023.

 

5. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire to reflect the amendments to Private Transportation Companies driver application, and Private Transportation Companies screening requirements outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (November 16, 2021) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards.

 

6. City Council direct that the changes to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire, and Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, come into force on January 1, 2022.

 

7. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards begin the driver training accreditation program as soon as possible.

 

8. City Council confirm its support for the existing Request for Proposal and timeline for the driver training accreditation program outlined in the report (November 16, 2021) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards.

 

9.  City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to consider updating public health guidelines for the Vehicle-for-Hire industry including vaccination and testing requirements and disclosure of vaccination status of drivers and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee.

 

10. City Council encourage the Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies to consider establishing COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates and to provide financial support to allow drivers to get tested, to recover, or to self-isolate and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee. 

 

11. City Council the direct Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health to consider making the licensing of vehicle-for-hire drivers contingent on COVID-19 vaccination status and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee.

 

12. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to conduct a comprehensive review of Vehicle-for-Hire regulations, including but not limited to, recommendations on the following topics and report to the General Government and Licensing Committee in the first quarter of 2023 or sooner:

 

a. the feasibility of requiring the accredited Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies driver training to include in-car assessments; 

 

b. the feasibility of giving drivers who are currently licensed to operate, but who have not received training, to have priority for the driver training program;

 

c. the feasibility of publishing reports, similar to New York City, available to the public, reporting key measures of system efficiency in the Vehicle for Hire sector including:

 

1. number of licensed drivers per month;

 

2. average daily maximum and minimum active drivers per month;

 

3. average number of daily rides per licensed driver, and per active driver, per month;

 

4. average customer and driver wait times;

 

5. average time spent cruising, en route, and with passengers; and

 

6. percent and number of expiring licenses that were renewed;

 

d. the electrification of the Vehicle-for-Hire industry including:

 

1. the feasibility of transitioning all Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies vehicles to lower emissions four cylinder, hybrid, or electric vehicles;

 

e. the feasibility of freezing fees for the drivers currently not working due to the drop in ridership demand caused by the pandemic;

 

f. the feasibility of suspending fees for vehicle-for-hire licenses while not in use;

 

g. a review of vehicle-for-hire license renewal fees to ensure they are comparable to other business licenses;

 

h. the feasibility of implementing a two year extension on vehicle lifespan to all 2014, 2015, and 2016 taxicab vehicles to remain in service; and

 

i. a review of what the appropriate number of licenses per capita would be.

 

13. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to establish a working group with representatives from across the taxi sector to understand and address any issues with data collection and submission.

 

14. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to require all Vehicle-for-Hire companies to submit comprehensive fare information to the City, including rate per ride and distance travelled, and the surge multiplier applied to both passenger fares and driver compensation.

 

15. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to provide anonymized data to the public through the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal, such as provided by New York City and Chicago to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and improve road safety, for all Vehicle-for-Hire trips, including time spent and distance travelled on each trip, by driver, with fares, broken down into the following but not limited to categories:

 

a. cruising;

 

b. en route; and

 

c. passenger transportation portions, and closest pick up and drop off intersections as provided by the City.

 

16. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a framework for the vehicle-for-hire sector, supported by an independent report, to maximize the efficiency of the sector by matching active vehicles in service with demand, and balancing public policy priorities, including customer service, economic impacts on drivers, impacts on public transit, efforts to reduce traffic volumes, City policies such as TransformTO, ActiveTO, VisionZero, and our greenhouse gas reduction targets, and this framework therefore shall include, but not be limited to:

 

a. public availability and competitive impacts across transportation sectors;

 

b. equity and accessibility;

 

c. measurement and optimisation of service for disabled passengers;

 

d. environmental impacts, including environmental policies and imperatives, such as the congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and barrier impacts of transport provision;

 

e. safety impacts, including but not limited to public safety, individual pedestrian, driver and road user incident costs, and any mitigation thereto; and

 

f. any direct and associated socio-economic impacts, including the societal cost and benefits of such provision, as may include potential for and avoidance of monopolistic or anti-trust abuses as may result from excess market access, and/or uncontrolled pricing.


17. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to include in this framework, recommendations on the feasibility of applying a ratio of 1 vehicle to 100 population currently used in New York City with the fleet size being reached through attrition rather than driver deactivations.

 

18. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Services to partner with the Toronto Transit Commission to study the impact of ride-hailing services on public transit, which builds on the City’s 2019 report “The Transportation Impacts of Vehicle-for-Hire in the City of Toronto” and specifically studies:

 

a. rides lost annually to ride-hailing since 2014;

 

b. ride loss projections based on:

 

i. anticipated growth of ride-hailing; and

 

ii. changing rider concerns during and after the pandemic;

 

c. the corresponding impact on fare revenue and, therefore, the Toronto Transit Commission operating budget;

 

d. changes to traffic congestion, vehicle kilometres travelled (including commuting, cruising, on route and in-service time) by Private Transportation Company vehicles and corresponding effect on Toronto Transit Commission surface transit caused by the growth of ride-hailing apps;

 

e. strategies and solutions to remain competitive in the mobility ecosystem when coming up against ride hailing companies; and

 

f. the potential synergies with ride hailing companies that could drive mutual economic benefits.

 

19. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 17, 2021) from the City Solicitor remain confidential as it contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

 

Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 17, 2021) from the City Solicitor remains confidential in accordance with the provisions of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as it contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Confidential Attachment - The receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege

Background Information (Committee)

(November 16, 2021) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards on Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173388.pdf
Attachment 1 - Amendments to Private Transportation Companies Driver Application, and Private Transportation Companies Screening Requirements
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173389.pdf
Attachment 2 - Third Party Market Comparison of Vehicle-for-Hire Licensing Fees
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173390.pdf
Attachment 3 - Vehicle-for-Hire Public Safety Measures
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173391.pdf
(November 23, 2021) Notice of Public Meeting - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173520.pdf

Background Information (City Council)

(December 13, 2021) Supplementary report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards on an Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives (GL27.19b)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-174397.pdf

Communications (Committee)

(November 23, 2021) E-mail from Gerry Manley (GL.Supp)
(November 26, 2021) Letter from Jake Brockman Manager, Public Policy, Uber Canada (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140493.pdf
(November 28, 2021) E-mail from Sean Sportun, Chair I, Toronto Crime Stoppers (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director, Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140507.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Kanwarmeet Gill (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Mian Amjad (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Janet Joy Wilson, Albert Koehl, Mary Ann Neary, Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140883.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Stephanie Cowle on behalf of Pamela Fuselli, Parachute (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140885.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from David Réti (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Tom Slee (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Nabeel El Khafif, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ego (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Dr. James M. Cooper, Lead Scientist, Transport Research Partners (formerly Taxi Research Partners) (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from JJ Fueser, RideFairTO, on behalf of the Toronto Environmental Alliance, CodeRedTO, The Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition and TTC Riders (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140947.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Earla Phillips (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Councillor Mike Layton (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140949.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Margot Whittington, submitting a letter from Bryan Purcell, The Atmospheric Fund (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140950.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Julie Kim, Founder, Go Be Safe (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140964.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Chris Thomas, Lyft Public Policy (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140935.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Andrew Clement, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Information Coordinator, Information Policy Research Program, University of Toronto (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140937.pdf
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Cara Clairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Plug'n Drive (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140938.pdf
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Michael Geraghty (GL.Supp)
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Yohannis Gebeyehu (GL.Supp)

Communications (City Council)

(December 1, 2021) E-mail from Muhammad Gill (CC.Main)
(December 14, 2021) Letter from JJ Fueser, Thorben Wieditz and Brendan Agnew-Iler, RideFair Toronto (CC.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/cc/comm/communicationfile-142861.pdf
(December 14, 2021) E-mail from Brendan Agnew-Iler submitting a communication on behalf of Allam (CC.New)
(December 16, 2021) Letter from Paul Meinema, National President, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (CC.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/cc/comm/communicationfile-142862.pdf

Motions (City Council)

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Mayor John Tory (Amended)

That:

 

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards begin the driver training accreditation program as soon as possible.

 

2. City Council confirm its support for the existing Request for Proposal and timeline for the driver training accreditation program outlined in the staff report
 

3. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to consider updating public health guidelines for the Vehicle-for-Hire industry including vaccination and testing requirements and disclosure of vaccination status of drivers.

 

4. City Council encourage the Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies to consider establishing COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates and to provide financial support to allow drivers to get tested, to recover, or to self-isolate.

 

5. City Council direct Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health to consider making the licensing of vehicle-for-hire drivers contingent on COVID-19 vaccination status.
 

6. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to conduct a comprehensive review of Vehicle-for-Hire regulations, including but not limited to, recommendations on the following topics and report to the General Government and Licensing Committee in 2023:

 
a. the feasibility of requiring the accredited Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies driver training to include in-car assessments;

 

b. the feasibility of giving drivers who are currently licensed to operate, but who have not received training, to have priority for the driver training program;

 

c. the feasibility of publishing reports, similar to New York City, available to the public, reporting key measures of system efficiency in the Vehicle for Hire sector including:

 

i. number of licensed drivers per month;

 

ii. average daily maximum and minimum active drivers per month;

 

iii. average number of daily rides per licensed driver, and per active driver, per month;

 

iv. average customer and driver wait times;

 

v. average time spent cruising, en route, and with passengers;

 

vi. percent and number of expiring licenses that were renewed;

 

d. the electrification of the Vehicle-for-Hire industry including:

 

i. the feasibility of transitioning all Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies vehicles to lower emissions four cylinder, hybrid, or electric vehicles;

 

e. the feasibility of freezing fees for the drivers currently not working due to the drop in ridership demand caused by the pandemic;

 

f. the feasibility of suspending fees for vehicle-for-hire licenses while not in use;

 

g. a review of vehicle-for-hire license renewal fees to ensure they are comparable to other business licenses;

 

h. the feasibility of implementing a two year extension on vehicle lifespan to all 2014, 2015, and 2016 taxicab vehicles to remain in service; and

 

i. a review of what the appropriate number of licenses per capita would be.

 

Amended by Parts 3 to 6 of motion 3 by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.

Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Dec-17-2021 2:28 PM

Result: Carried Majority Required - GL27.19 - Tory - motion 1, as amended
Total members that voted Yes: 24 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, John Tory, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 0 Members that voted No are
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Joe Cressy, Nick Mantas

2 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor John Filion (Redundant)

That

 

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, as a measure to increase public safety, to direct staff:

 

a. to work with vehicle-for-hire companies to establish a mechanism ensuring that all of their drivers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19; and

 

b. to explore the City's ability to implement a COVID-19 vaccination requirement as part of its vehicle-for-hire licensing requirements.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata (Upheld)
Speaker Nunziata ruled motion 2 by Councillor John Filion redundant due to the adoption of motion 1 by Mayor John Tory, as amended by motion 3 by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.
Challenged by Councillor John Filion


3 - Motion to Amend Motion moved by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Amended)

That motion 1, Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the lead-in phrase to Part 6, by Mayor Tory be amended so they now read as follows: 

 

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards begin the driver training accreditation program as soon as possible giving drivers who are currently licensed to operate, but who have not received training, priority for the driver training program and to report back to the General Government and Licensing Committee in the first quarter of 2022 with the outcomes.

 

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to give preference to training programs that have in class and in-car training requirements and confirm its support for the existing Request for Proposal and timeline for the driver training accreditation program outlined in the staff report.

 

3. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to consider updating public health guidelines for the Vehicle-for-Hire industry including vaccination and testing requirements and disclosure of vaccination status of drivers and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee.

 

4. City Council encourage the Vehicle-for-Hire industry and Private Transportation Companies to consider establishing COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates and to provide financial support to allow drivers to get tested, to recover, or to self-isolate and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee. 

 

5. City Council direct Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health to consider making the licensing of vehicle-for-hire drivers contingent on COVID-19 vaccination status and to report back to the next meeting or the March 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee.

 

6. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to conduct a comprehensive review of Vehicle-for-Hire regulations, including but not limited to, recommendations on the following topics and report to the General Government and Licensing Committee in the first quarter of 2023 or sooner:

 

Parts 1 and 2 of motion 3 by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam did not carry. The balance of the motion carried.

Vote (Amend Motion) Dec-17-2021 2:25 PM

Result: Lost Majority Required - GL27.19 - Wong-Tam - motion 3 Parts 1 and 2 only
Total members that voted Yes: 7 Members that voted Yes are Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Mike Layton, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 17 Members that voted No are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, John Filion, Stephen Holyday, Cynthia Lai, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, John Tory
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Joe Cressy, Nick Mantas

Vote (Amend Motion) Dec-17-2021 2:27 PM

Result: Carried Majority Required - GL27.19 - Wong-Tam - balance of motion 3
Total members that voted Yes: 23 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, John Tory, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 1 Members that voted No are Shelley Carroll
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Joe Cressy, Nick Mantas

4 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Carried)

That City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 17, 2021) remain confidential as it contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Vote (Amend Item) Dec-17-2021 2:29 PM

Result: Carried Majority Required - GL27.19 - Ainslie - motion 4
Total members that voted Yes: 24 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, John Tory, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 0 Members that voted No are
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Joe Cressy, Nick Mantas

Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Adoption of General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendations 12 and 13 only:

 

12. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a framework for the vehicle-for-hire sector, supported by an independent report, to maximize the efficiency of the sector by matching active vehicles in service with demand, and balancing public policy priorities, including customer service, economic impacts on drivers, impacts on public transit, efforts to reduce traffic volumes, City policies such as TransformTO, ActiveTO, VisionZero, and our greenhouse gas reduction targets, and this framework therefore shall include, but not be limited to:

 

a. public availability and competitive impacts across transportation sectors;

 

b. equity and accessibility;

 

c. measurement and optimisation of service for disabled passengers;

 

d. environmental impacts, including environmental policies and imperatives, such as the congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and barrier impacts of transport provision;

 

e. safety impacts, including but not limited to public safety, individual pedestrian, driver and road user incident costs, and any mitigation thereto; and

 

f. any direct and associated socio-economic impacts, including the societal cost and benefits of such provision, as may include potential for and avoidance of monopolistic or anti-trust abuses as may result from excess market access, and/or uncontrolled pricing.


13. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to include in this framework, recommendations on the feasibility of applying a ratio of 1 vehicle to 100 population currently used in New York City with the fleet size being reached through attrition rather than driver deactivations.

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Dec-17-2021 2:31 PM

Result: Carried Majority Required - GL27.19 - Adoption of General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendations 12 and 13 only
Total members that voted Yes: 22 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, John Tory, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 2 Members that voted No are Stephen Holyday, Michael Thompson
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Joe Cressy, Nick Mantas

Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Adoption of the balance of the Item, as amended.

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Dec-17-2021 2:32 PM

Result: Carried Majority Required - GL27.19 - Adopt the balance of the Item as amended
Total members that voted Yes: 25 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, Joe Cressy, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Stephen Holyday, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, John Tory, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Total members that voted No: 0 Members that voted No are
Total members that were Absent: 1 Members that were absent are Nick Mantas

Point of Order by Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Fletcher, on a Point of Order, stated, in response to Councillor Colle's questions of staff, that she understood that the Toronto Transit Commission requirement for vaccination carries over to any contracted Wheel Trans drivers.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Order and thanked Councillor Fletcher for her remarks.


Point of Order by Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Ainslie, on a Point of Order, stated that he would like to know if the Mayor's motion 1 is to delete and replace the General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendations or if it is in addition to the Committee Recommendations.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Order and ruled that Mayor Tory's motion 1 is in addition to the General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendations.


Point of Order by Councillor Shelley Carroll

Councillor Carroll, on a Point of Order, stated that when the Chair is challenged on her ruling, there is no debate and no other Member should speak.


Point of Privilege by Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Fletcher, on a Point of Privilege, stated that there are problems with the mute button as it shows being muted when in fact it is not.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Privilege and ruled that staff would look into the matter.


Point of Order by Councillor Mike Layton

Councillor Layton, on a Point of Order, stated that he would like to know if any aspect of Mayor Tory's motion 1 make any of the Committee Recommendations redundant.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Order and asked the City Clerk to respond.

John Elvidge, City Clerk, advised that the Mayor's motion 1 does not make any of the Committee Recommendations redundant. The City Clerk further advised that the Speaker had earlier in the meeting ruled General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendations 8 and 11 redundant.


Point of Privilege by Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong

Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong, on a Point of Privilege, stated that Members are at home so the Speaker needs to be more patient with Members when the Clerks Meeting Portal goes down because it takes some time for the Members to log back into the system.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Privilege and ruled that she does have patience.

Rulings (City Council)

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata made the following ruling:

Members, before we begin the debate on this item, I wish to rule on original Committee Recommendations 8 and 11 in the item.

These recommendations request staff to report back on a review the feasibility of freezing fees and on a plan for by-law enforcement. I am advised that the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards has already addressed both of these matters in the supplementary report before City Council at this meeting.

As a result, I am ruling that original Committee Recommendations 8 and 11 are redundant.

Declared Interests (City Council)

The following member(s) declared an interest:

Councillor Nick Mantas - as a family member is an owner of a taxi plate.
Written Declaration: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/declared-interest-file.do?id=10436

19a - Amendments to Private Transportation Company Driver Application Process

Confidential Attachment - Contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege
Background Information (Committee)
(November 17, 2021) Report from the City Solicitor on Amendments to Private Transportation Company Driver Application Process
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173446.pdf
Confidential Attachment 1

GL27.19 - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

Confidential Attachment - The receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege

Committee Recommendations

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:

 

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C - Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards to maintain, throughout 2022, the temporary 75 percent reduction on the Vehicle-for-Hire Accessibility Fund Program regulatory charges, approved by Council in February 2021.

 

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Interim Director, Environment and Energy and The Atmospheric Fund, to establish a Vehicle-for-Hire group, under the already established Electric Vehicle Working Group, that brings relevant stakeholders together to develop a strategy to accelerate emissions reductions and electrification of the vehicle-for-hire industry, including considerations for equity and potential implementation challenges for any proposed advice; the results of this work shall be considered by the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards as an input to the development of any requirements or programs that seek to reduce emissions in the Vehicle-for-Hire industry. 

 

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to set a goal of Net Zero for 2030 for vehicles for hire, and to align the plans for vehicle electrification and emissions reduction to achieve this goal.

 

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report back in the first quarter 2023 on recommended by-law updates and complementary programs to achieve the vehicle electrification and emissions reductions targets for the vehicle-for-hire industry, including outcomes of the proposed Vehicle-for-Hire group under the Electric Vehicle Working Group, and results of the third-party vehicle-for-hire emissions study, with implementation beginning by the end of 2023.

 

5. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire to reflect the amendments to Private Transportation Companies driver application, and Private Transportation Companies screening requirements outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (November 16, 2021) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards.

 

6. City Council direct that the changes to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire, and Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, come into force on January 1, 2022.

 

7. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to establish a working group with representatives from across the taxi sector to understand and address any issues with data collection and submission.

 

8. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to review the feasibility of freezing fees for the drivers currently not working due to the drop in ridership demand caused by the pandemic and to report the recommendations to the January 14, 2022 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee.

 

9. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to require all Vehicle-for-Hire companies to submit comprehensive fare information to the city, including rate per ride and distance travelled, and the surge multiplier applied to both passenger fares and driver compensation.

 

10. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to provide anonymized data to the public through the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal, such as provided by New York City and Chicago to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and improve road safety, for all Vehicle-for-Hire trips, including time spent and distance travelled on each trip, by driver, with fares, broken down into the following but not limited to categories:

 

a. cruising;

 

b. en route; and

 

c. passenger transportation portions, and closest pick up and drop off intersections as provided by the city.


11. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report back to Council in the First Quarter of 2022 with a plan for implementation and enforcement of the updated by-law to ensure compliance and the promotion of Vision Zero and road safety.

 

12. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a framework for the vehicle-for-hire sector, supported by an independent report, to maximize the efficiency of the sector by matching active vehicles in service with demand, and balancing public policy priorities, including customer service, economic impacts on drivers, impacts on public transit, efforts to reduce traffic volumes, City policies such as TransformTO, ActiveTO, VisionZero, and our greenhouse gas reduction targets, and this framework therefore shall include, but not be limited to:

 

a. public availability and competitive impacts across transportation sectors;

 

b. equity and accessibility;

 

c. measurement and optimisation of service for disabled passengers;

 

d. environmental impacts, including environmental policies and imperatives, such as the congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and barrier impacts of transport provision;

 

e. safety impacts, including but not limited to public safety, individual pedestrian, driver and road user incident costs, and any mitigation thereto; and

 

f. any direct and associated socio-economic impacts, including the societal cost and benefits of such provision, as may include potential for and avoidance of monopolistic or anti-trust abuses as may result from excess market access, and/or uncontrolled pricing.


13. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to include in this framework, recommendations on the feasibility of applying a ratio of 1 vehicle to 100 population currently used in New York City with the fleet size being reached through attrition rather than driver deactivations.

 

14. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Services to partner with the Toronto Transit Commission to study the impact of ride-hailing services on public transit, which builds on the City’s 2019 report “The Transportation Impacts of Vehicle-for-Hire in the City of Toronto” and specifically studies:

 

a. rides lost annually to ride-hailing since 2014;

 

b. ride loss projections based on:

 

i. anticipated growth of ride-hailing; and

 

ii. changing rider concerns during and after the pandemic;

 

c. the corresponding impact on fare revenue and, therefore, the Toronto Transit Commission operating budget;

 

d. changes to traffic congestion, vehicle kilometres travelled (including commuting, cruising, on route and in-service time) by Private Transportation Company vehicles and corresponding effect on Toronto Transit Commission surface transit caused by the growth of ride-hailing apps;

 

e. strategies and solutions to remain competitive in the mobility ecosystem when coming up against ride hailing companies; and

 

f. the potential synergies with ride hailing companies that could drive mutual economic benefits.

Decision Advice and Other Information

The General Government and Licensing Committee requested the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report to the meeting of City Council on December 15 and 16, 2021 with recommendations on potential refinements to the new driver training program in regards to:

 

a. requiring that all vehicle-for-hire and private transportation company driver training be provided through existing, accredited, public institutions and include in-car examinations;

 

b. providing acknowledgement and a training credit for drivers previously trained by the City's training program;

 

c. providing drivers who are currently licensed to operate but who have not received training top priority for the new training program; and

 

d. including education on sexual assault and harassment prevention.

Origin

(November 16, 2021) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards

Summary

The Vehicle-for-Hire Bylaw (Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire) came into effect in 2016 to establish a set of rules and regulations for taxicabs, limousines, and Private Transportation Companies such as Facedrive, Lyft and Uber. The bylaw modernized the City of Toronto's approach to regulation, and responded to the public's request for choice in regulated ground transportation options. The bylaw enables the Vehicle-for-Hire industry to provide quality service in a competitive market, while maintaining the City’s municipal regulatory purpose of enhancing consumer protection and public safety.

 

In 2019, staff completed a comprehensive review of the bylaw and as a result, Council adopted several amendments, including the creation of an Accessibility Fund Program, the introduction of additional data requirements, new mandatory training for all drivers, and an increase in the years of driving experience for all drivers from one to three years. This report outlines work completed since the 2019 review, and provides updates and next steps related to outstanding Council directives. It also provides the results of a third-party licensing fee review, and an updated Transportation Impact Study.

 

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the implementation of some 2019 bylaw amendments paused, as residents, businesses and the City responded to the health, social and financial effects of the pandemic. For example, the Vehicle-for-Hire industry continues to recover from the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of drivers in the industry has fallen, by almost 50 percent for Private Transportation Companies (from approximately 90,000 to 47,000) and 42 percent for the taxicab and limousine industries (from approximately 13,000 to 7,500).

 

To continue to support its recovery, staff recommend maintaining the temporary 75 percent reduction on the Vehicle-for-Hire Accessibility Fund Program's regulatory charges, approved by Council in February 2021, for the year 2022. This recommendation will not affect current or future access to the Accessibility Fund Program by applicants, and will not have an effect on the delivery of accessible Vehicle-for-Hire service, due to the City's previous in-year budget adjustment.

 

Based on a third-party licensing fee review, further reductions in licensing fees are not recommended. Vehicle-for-Hire licensing fees were determined to be reasonable, when compared to similar risk and/or administratively complex business licensing categories, and were within market rates, when compared to other jurisdictions. Council has also introduced a number of relief measures for the taxicab and limousine industries, including a 50 percent reduction on licensing renewal fees. If this reduction is maintained, meaning Council does not reinstate taxicab and limousine licensing renewal fees to be cost-recovery, then staff advise that the reduction should be extended to the Private Transportation Companies industry to avoid the characterization that Municipal Licensing and Standards is cross-subsidizing licensing fees.

 

Municipal Licensing and Standards is actively working on steps to implement the driver training accreditation program. After pausing the implementation of the training program due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Municipal Licensing and Standards re-issued the call for third-party providers on November 9, 2021. Upon its closing on December 10, 2021, Municipal Licensing and Standards will review their applications in consultation with the Expert Panel (composed of interdivisional members) and then accredit approved training programs. It is anticipated that all drivers in the Vehicle-for-Hire industry will be trained by the end of 2022.

 

On November 10, 2021, Council paused the issuance of new Vehicle-for-Hire and Private Transportation Companies driver licences until such time as the driver training accreditation program is established, and applicants have demonstrated completion of a driver training course. While staff have implemented Council direction, there are concerns that pausing the issuance of licences will have significant impacts on the industry, drivers, individual applicants and consumers, at a time when the focus is necessarily on the City's recovery efforts. A pause on licensing may have unintended effects on consumers by potentially reducing the number of drivers available and increasing wait times. For example, due to the significant decline in the number of Private Transportation Companies drivers, wait times have more than doubled since February 2020. It is anticipated that the licensing of new applicants will resume once the City has accredited training providers and applicants are able to complete an accredited driver training course, as well as meet all other licensing requirements, as part of their applications. Municipal Licensing and Standards will continue to accept renewal applications for existing licensees during this time period. After training programs are in place and available, Municipal Licensing and Standards will establish a reasonable date by which applicants for renewal must also demonstrate they have completed a course.

 

The focus of the new training is to improve driver awareness of customer service issues, such as accessibility, the act of pick-up and drop-off, anti-racism and increased sensitivity. The City does not train drivers on core driving skills but instead utilizes criminal background and judicial matters checks, and weekly screening of driving abstracts to identify contraventions of the City's screening criteria (including convictions under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act).

 

To further advance emissions reductions in the Vehicle-for-Hire industry, Municipal Licensing and Standards has partnered with the University of Toronto to undertake an emissions calculations and modelling project. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by Toronto's Vehicle-for-Hire industry is currently unknown, particularly in comparison to other transportation sources such as personal vehicles. Establishing an emissions baseline for the industry is critical as the City considers the most effective policy options and initiatives to meet emissions reduction targets and goals set out by Council in TransformTO. In addition, a baseline analysis is critical to determining the most effective and equitable policy options, as some emissions reduction initiatives may have financial implications on drivers, and this is typically an industry of already low-wages.

 

While the University of Toronto project is underway, Municipal Licensing and Standards remains committed to collaborating further with relevant stakeholders. It is recommended that Municipal Licensing and Standards lead, in consultation with the Environment and Energy Division and The Atmospheric Fund, an Electric Vehicle Working Group to discuss opportunities to support the electrification of the Vehicle-for-Hire industry, including considerations for equity and potential implementation challenges for any proposed advice. The results of this working group and the work of the University of Toronto will be considered as an input to policy recommendations that seek to reduce emissions from the Vehicle-for-Hire industry.

 

The Transportation Impact Study was revisited in 2021 by Transportation Service's Data and Analytics Unit. The study explored trends since the last study was completed in 2019, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Private Transportation Companies industry. It was determined that, at this time, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that additional measures are required to mitigate congestion, such as a cap on the number of Private Transportation Companies vehicles. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traffic congestion and travel patterns in the City has been significant and requires continuous monitoring to understand how congestion levels recover and the role of Vehicle-for-Hire in the recovery.

 

Although the Vehicle-for-Hire Bylaw requires taxicab brokers, limousine service companies, and Private Transportation Companies to submit trip data to the City, currently, only the Private Transportation Companies industry and one taxicab broker complies in a satisfactory manner. This data is crucial for the City to be able to make policies governing the whole Vehicle-for-Hire around accessibility, transportation planning, congestion management and environmental initiatives. Therefore, staff will explore taking further enforcement action to achieve compliance with the data collection and remittance processes. It is also recommended that the Private Transportation Companies driver application and Private Transportation Companies screening requirements be amended to clarify and streamline the current data collection and record management requirements.

 

This report was prepared in consultation with Legal Services, Policy, Planning, Finance and Administration, Environment and Energy, and Transportation Services.

Background Information

(November 16, 2021) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards on Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173388.pdf
Attachment 1 - Amendments to Private Transportation Companies Driver Application, and Private Transportation Companies Screening Requirements
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173389.pdf
Attachment 2 - Third Party Market Comparison of Vehicle-for-Hire Licensing Fees
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173390.pdf
Attachment 3 - Vehicle-for-Hire Public Safety Measures
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173391.pdf
(November 23, 2021) Notice of Public Meeting - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173520.pdf

Communications

(November 23, 2021) E-mail from Gerry Manley (GL.Supp)
(November 26, 2021) Letter from Jake Brockman Manager, Public Policy, Uber Canada (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140493.pdf
(November 28, 2021) E-mail from Sean Sportun, Chair I, Toronto Crime Stoppers (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director, Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140507.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Kanwarmeet Gill (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Mian Amjad (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Janet Joy Wilson, Albert Koehl, Mary Ann Neary, Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140883.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Stephanie Cowle on behalf of Pamela Fuselli, Parachute (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140885.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from David Réti (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Tom Slee (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Nabeel El Khafif, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ego (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Dr. James M. Cooper, Lead Scientist, Transport Research Partners (formerly Taxi Research Partners) (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from JJ Fueser, RideFairTO, on behalf of the Toronto Environmental Alliance, CodeRedTO, The Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition and TTC Riders (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140947.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Earla Phillips (GL.Supp)
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Councillor Mike Layton (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140949.pdf
(November 29, 2021) E-mail from Margot Whittington, submitting a letter from Bryan Purcell, The Atmospheric Fund (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140950.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Julie Kim, Founder, Go Be Safe (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140964.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Chris Thomas, Lyft Public Policy (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140935.pdf
(November 29, 2021) Letter from Andrew Clement, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Information Coordinator, Information Policy Research Program, University of Toronto (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140937.pdf
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Cara Clairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Plug'n Drive (GL.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/comm/communicationfile-140938.pdf
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Michael Geraghty (GL.Supp)
(November 30, 2021) Letter from Yohannis Gebeyehu (GL.Supp)

Speakers

Andrew Murie, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada)
Eric Dumschat, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada)
Kanwarmeet Gill
Allen Matrosov
Jake Brockman, Uber Canada
Shelagh Pizey-Allen, TTCriders
James Cooper, Transport Research Partners
Kristine Hubbard, Beck Taxi
Michael Geraghty, Canadian Pro Drivers
David Clement, Consumer Choice Center
Caleb V. Kalenuik
Tom Slee
Harmy Mendoza, WomanACT
JJ Fueser, RideFairTO
Brendan Agnew-Iler, RideFair
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam

Motions

1a - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Carried)

That the General Government and Licensing Committee recommend that:

 

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report to the meeting of City Council on December 15 and 16, 2021 with recommendations on potential refinements to the new driver training program in regards to:

 

a. requiring that all vehicle-for-hire and private transportation company driver training be provided through existing, accredited, public institutions and include in-car examinations;

 

b. providing acknowledgement and a training credit for drivers previously trained by the City's training program;

 

c. providing drivers who are currently licensed to operate but who have not received training top priority for the new training program; and

 

d. including education on sexual assault and harassment prevention.

 

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to establish a working group with representatives from across the taxi sector to understand and address any issues with data collection and submission.

 

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to review the feasibility of freezing fees for the drivers currently not working due to the drop in ridership demand caused by the pandemic and to report the recommendations to the January 14, 2022 meeting of the General Governance and Licensing Committee.

 

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to require all Vehicle-for-Hire companies to submit comprehensive fare information to the city, including rate per ride and distance travelled, and the surge multiplier applied to both passenger fares and driver compensation.

 

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to provide anonymized data to the public through the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal, such as provided by New York City and Chicago to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and improve road safety, for all Vehicle-for-Hire trips, including time spent and distance travelled on each trip, by driver, with fares, broken down into the following but not limited to categories:

 

a. cruising;

 

b. en route; and

 

c. passenger transportation portions, and closest pick up and drop off intersections as provided by the city.


6. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report back to Council in the First Quarter of 2022 with a plan for implementation and enforcement of the updated by-law to ensure compliance and the promotion of Vision Zero and road safety.

 

7. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a framework for the vehicle-for-hire sector, supported by an independent report, to maximize the efficiency of the sector by matching active vehicles in service with demand, and balancing public policy priorities, including customer service, economic impacts on drivers, impacts on public transit, efforts to reduce traffic volumes, City policies such as TransformTO, ActiveTO, VisionZero, and our greenhouse gas reduction targets, and this framework therefore shall include, but not be limited to:

 

a. public availability and competitive impacts across transportation sectors;

 

b. equity and accessibility;

 

c. measurement and optimisation of service for disabled passengers;

 

d. environmental impacts, including environmental policies and imperatives, such as the congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and barrier impacts of transport provision;

 

e. safety impacts, including but not limited to public safety, individual pedestrian, driver and road user incident costs, and any mitigation thereto; and

 

f. any direct and associated socio-economic impacts, including the societal cost and benefits of such provision, as may include potential for and avoidance of monopolistic or anti-trust abuses as may result from excess market access, and/or uncontrolled pricing.


8. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to include in this framework, recommendations on the feasibility of applying a ratio of 1 vehicle to 100 population currently used in New York City with the fleet size being reached through attrition rather than driver deactivations.

 

9. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Services to partner with the Toronto Transit Commission to study the impact of ride-hailing services on public transit, which builds on the City’s 2019 report “The Transportation Impacts of Vehicle-for-Hire in the City of Toronto” and specifically studies:

 

a. rides lost annually to ride-hailing since 2014;

 

b. ride loss projections based on:

 

i. anticipated growth of ride-hailing; and

 

ii. changing rider concerns during and after the pandemic;

 

c. the corresponding impact on fare revenue and, therefore, the Toronto Transit Commission operating budget;

 

d. changes to traffic congestion, vehicle kilometres travelled (including commuting, cruising, on route and in-service time) by Private Transportation Company vehicles and corresponding effect on Toronto Transit Commission surface transit caused by the growth of ride-hailing apps;

 

e. strategies and solutions to remain competitive in the mobility ecosystem when coming up against ride hailing companies; and

 

f. the potential synergies with ride hailing companies that could drive mutual economic benefits.

Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Nov-30-2021

Result: Carried Majority Required - Adopt the balance of motion 1a, Parts 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9
Total members that voted Yes: 2 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie (Chair), Frances Nunziata
Total members that voted No: 1 Members that voted No are Stephen Holyday
Total members that were Absent: 3 Members that were absent are John Filion, Nick Mantas, Josh Matlow

Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Nov-30-2021

Result: Carried Majority Required - Adopt Parts 2, 4, 5, and 6 of motion 1a
Total members that voted Yes: 3 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie (Chair), Stephen Holyday, Frances Nunziata
Total members that voted No: 0 Members that voted No are
Total members that were Absent: 3 Members that were absent are John Filion, Nick Mantas, Josh Matlow

1b - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Carried)

That:

 

1. Recommendations 2, 3, and 4 in the report (November 16, 2021) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, be amended to read as follows:

 

"2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Interim Director, Environment and Energy and The Atmospheric Fund, to establish a Vehicle-for-Hire group, under the already established Electric Vehicle Working Group, that brings relevant stakeholders together to develop a strategy to accelerate emissions reductions and electrification of the vehicle-for-hire industry, including considerations for equity and potential implementation challenges for any proposed advice; the results of this work shall be considered by the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards as an input to the development of any requirements or programs that seek to reduce emissions in the Vehicle-for-Hire industry.

 

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to set a goal of Net Zero for 2030 for vehicles for hire, and to align the plans for vehicle electrification and emissions reduction to achieve this goal.

 

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report back in the First Quarter 2023 on recommended bylaw updates and complementary programs to achieve the vehicle electrification and emissions reductions targets for the vehicle-for-hire industry, including outcomes of the proposed Vehicle-for-Hire group under the Electric Vehicle Working Group, and results of the third-party vehicle-for-hire emissions study, with implementation beginning by the end of 2023."


Motion to Adopt Item as Amended moved by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Carried)

Point of Order by Councillor Paul Ainslie

Chair Ainslie, on a Point of Order, advised the Committee that Councillor Mantas had declared an interest on Item GL27.19, and that Councillor Mantas would need to exclude himself from the Item. Chair Ainslie requested the Committee Administrator to advise the Committee on how Councillor Mantas' absence would affect quorum for the meeting.

 

The Committee Administrator advised the Committee that the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act provides for Members who declare an interest to absent themselves from consideration of the item on which they have declared an interest, and that in a situation like the one the that the Committee faced, a bare-quorum of four and one Member declared an interest on the item, that the Act allows for the remaining three Members to still form a quorum to consider and vote on that item, and that the Member should return to the meeting after the final vote on that item.


Point of Order by Councillor Frances Nunziata

Councillor Nunziata, on a Point of Order, stated that because Councillor Mantas would have to return to the meeting following the consideration of item GL27.19, could the Committee vote on the confirming Bill at this time and while Councillor Mantas was present in the meeting.

Declared Interests

The following member(s) declared an interest:

Councillor Nick Mantas - as one of his family members owns a taxi plate.
Written Declaration: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/declared-interest-file.do?id=10396

19a - Amendments to Private Transportation Company Driver Application Process

Confidential Attachment - Contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege
Origin
(November 17, 2021) Report from the City Solicitor
Summary

This report is supplementary to the report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, titled: Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives. His report recommends that City Council adopt amendments to the Private Transportation Company Driver application process, as noted in Attachment 1 to that report. This confidential report and attachment contains legal advice on the existing and recommended record keeping requirements in Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles for Hire.

Background Information
(November 17, 2021) Report from the City Solicitor on Amendments to Private Transportation Company Driver Application Process
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173446.pdf
Confidential Attachment 1

19b - Supplementary Report - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives

Origin
(November 25, 2021) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services
Summary

The attachment to this report titled "The Transportation Impacts of Vehicle-for-Hire in the City of Toronto: October 2018 to July 2021" was prepared by the Transportation Services Data and Analytics Unit to continue to study the impacts of the Vehicle-for-Hire sector on the transportation system in Toronto.

 

This report is a follow-up to a June 2019 study prepared in partnership with the University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute.

Background Information
(November 25, 2021) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services on Supplementary Report - Update on Outstanding Vehicle-for-Hire Directives
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173833.pdf
Attachment 1 - The Transportation Impacts of Vehicle-for-Hire in the City of Toronto - October 2018 to July 2021
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-173834.pdf
Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council