In the neverending game of tug of war between the City of Toronto and ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, Toronto is now enforcing strict new bylaws towards the drivers behind said services.
A regulation under the monicker “vehicle-for-hire” was updated earlier this week, focused on improving public safety. The update pertains to the drivers rather than the user. According to the report released by CBC, the major changes for drivers are as followed:
Drivers must now complete a city-approved training program, which covers topics such as driving in an urban environment. It will also tackle anti-racism and sensitivity training. Current drivers have until the end of the year to complete their training. New drivers must have it completed by June 1st of this year.
All drivers must have a minimum of three years of driving experience. Until recently, the minimum was only one year of experience.
All vehicles must now include “watch for bike” notices. Notifications will also be sent to passengers to watch for bikes before exiting.
Finally, all drivers must display a notification if the vehicle has a camera installed and is recording passengers. Drivers must also securely mount handheld devices on the dashboard.
The bylaw now includes a new accessibility fund, which companies will pay 10 cents per trip into. This is aimed at offsetting the cost of providing wheelchair accessible services.
