Uber Canada has launched a myth-busting campaign after the City of Toronto attempted to cap the number of rideshare licences it grants.
The motion was introduced in October 2023 in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, but in December the ride hailing service filed and then dropped a lawsuit when the municipal government voted to rescind the cap and resume granting licences to prospective Uber drivers.
In October, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said limiting licences to 52,000, the amount at the time the cap was applied, was “appropriate” in an effort to lower emissions.
However, the city reversed the ruling after Uber accused it of failing to provide public notice of the motion to impose restrictions on the number of vehicles for hire and Private Transportation Company (PTC) licences in Toronto.
In light of the city’s u-turn, the rideshare service is looking to address misconceptions surrounding its operations.
According to Uber, while there are 52,000 rideshare drivers licensed by the City of Toronto, 2023 data shows that only seven percent are on the road at any given time, and only 13 per cent were active during peak hours.
“Drivers value the flexibility that Uber offers, choosing to drive if, when, and where they want,” the company said, indicating that a ceiling on licences would not necessarily reduce the number of Ubers on the road overall.
Furthermore, Uber says it has “committed to being a zero-emission platform in Canada by 2030 and globally by 2040,” and that drivers on the app in Canada and the U.S. are switching to electric vehicles seven times faster than the average driver in those two countries.
Uber also said that ridesharing accounted for only 3.3 per cent of total traffic in Toronto and eight to 14 per cent of traffic in the downtown core. Moreover, its accessibility is a significant factor when considering purchasing a vehicle.
“Research shows that ridesharing can reduce the need for private car ownership. According to Public First, 33 per cent of Canadian riders who have a licence but don’t own a car say that having access to rideshare services like Uber was a very or somewhat important factor in deciding against car ownership,” Uber explained.
The company also estimates that eight per cent of riders use its services to connect to public transport services.
However, reports signal that the cap reversal is temporary and that the city is likely to pass alternate limiting measures imminently.
