Canada’s Toronto city authorities have stopped licensing Uber, Lyft and ride sharing. This decision was made in a meeting of the city council on Wednesday. The decision has been taken as part of the plan to implement the target of introducing electric vehicles in the city by 2031.
City authorities say the city has been asked to prepare a legal framework and planning report to curb environmental pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles to zero. Until these are finalised, new licenses for Uber, Lyft and ride-sharing Uber Eats, food delivery services will be suspended in Toronto.
Ride sharing or food delivery with Uber Lyft requires a Private Transport Company (PTC) license from the City Corporation. The City will now stop issuing these licenses.
According to the City of Toronto, there are 52,000 Uber drivers in Toronto. The city authorities do not want to increase this number.
Meanwhile, the decision of the authorities has caused adverse reactions among many. Every year about 550,000 people cross into Canada hoping to immigrate to Canada, a country of many cultures. Many of them choose ride sharing as a career.
Many Canadians live in ride-sharing to supplement income in a rising commodity market. The sudden decision of the authorities has left many disappointed.
Shawgat Ali Sagar, editor of Canada’s New Desh newspaper, told Samakal that there is currently a kind of economic pressure going on across Canada. Citizens are struggling. House rents have gone up, bank mortgage interest rates have gone up. Prices of daily necessities are high. Many make a living by Uber or ride sharing. This decision of the city authorities will stand as a ‘sore blow over the dead’.
