Amid a looming strike from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Uber Canada says it can’t be expected to fill the massive gap left by a transit strike when it comes to accommodating a surge in riders.
Thousands of TTC workers are set to hit the picket lines on Friday if no deal is reached between the union representing them and the transit agency. Currently, TTC and ATU Local 113, the union representing them, remain at the bargaining table hoping to negotiate a deal by strike deadline, which is midnight tonight.
Both sides say they remain optimistic about reaching a fair deal in order to avoid service interruptions for commuters. According to TTC, the two sides reached an agreement that operators would continue to operate until subway service ends between 2 and 3 a.m on Friday, whether or not a labour disruption starts.
READ MORE: TTC workers could go on strike Friday, here’s what you need to know
TTC is urging customers travelling after midnight to be prepared to make alternative plans to complete their journey. The transit agency confirms that all Wheel-Trans services will continue to operate in the event of job action, including contracted accessible taxis and Sedan taxis.
UBER SAYS IT WILL CAP SURGE PRICING
A total service disruption would leave commuters struggling to find other forms of transportation such as Ubers, taxis, bikes, or GO Transit.
“It is not reasonable to expect Uber to fill in the massive gap left by a transit strike,” Uber Canada said in a statement to Now Toronto on Thursday.
An Uber spokesperson says when there are public transit stoppages, the company caps surge pricing, offers incentives to drivers to increase the availability of trips and recommends group rides and Uber Share to users to save on costs.
“Surge is a multiplier on the fare. If there is a strike, we would put a cap on the multiplier. It’s a multiplier because every trip request is different,” the ride-sharing company said.
“Pricing is dependent on many factors including how far the trip is, the time it takes to get there, traffic, the product selected, how many drivers were on the road at that exact time in that area, and how many riders were requesting trips at that exact time, etc,” it continued.
In addition, the company attributes a transit strike in Vancouver back in January as an example of its response.
“We offered additional incentives to drivers to encourage them to complete more trips during the strike. One morning from 7-8AM, the number of active drivers increased more than 70% over the same hour the previous week,” Uber explained.
Public transit advocacy group TTC Riders say it is outrageous that the TTC has yet to arrive at a deal, with such high stakes in the midst for transit riders.
“Many of us cannot afford to lose a day’s pay or pay for taxis or Ubers. A strike will disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and affect everyone in Toronto, not just transit users,” a statement on Thursday reads.
“Other public services and businesses will be affected, because the TTC moves working class people to their jobs. For many Toronto residents, the TTC is our only option to access work, school, caregiving, groceries and appointments. For those with access to vehicles, gridlock will get worse,” it continued.
