The Public GalleryToronto

←Toronto City Council · 2020-10-27 · 2020.MM25.1

The filed record

Supporting Taxi Operators from COVID-related Financial Hardship - by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Paul Ainslie

The Public Gallery wrote no story on this item. What follows is the city’s own record of what happened to it, as filed: nothing on this page is summarised or scored by us.

The decision

2020-10-27 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on October 27, 28 and 30, 2020, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the City Manager to consider, as part of his upcoming October 2020 COVID-19 Financial report, the reduction of taxicab licensing renewal fees for 2020. 2. City Council request the General Government and Licensing Committee, at its November meeting, to consider an amendment to Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire to extend the maximum age of vehicles used as a taxicab, sedan limousine or private transportation company vehicle from seven model years to nine model years, for vehicles of the 2013 model year and onward, and the maximum age of vehicles used as a stretch limousine from eight model years to ten model years, for vehicles of the 2012 model year and onward.

Show the rest of As filed, 1,462 more characters as filed

3. City Council request the City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to undertake a broader review of possible relief measures that can be considered to assist the taxi industry and report back to the November 30, 2020 meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee, with any financial impacts to the City addressed through the 2021 budget process; such review should include, but not be limited to, studying the feasibility and impact of: a. a 12-month moratorium on enforcement of the age of vehicle provisions of taxis and limousines; b. a 12-month moratorium on licensing renewal fees for taxicabs; c. a significant reduction or elimination of taxicab licensing renewal fees for 2021; d. an amendment to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, to temporarily reduce the regulatory charges for the Vehicle-for-Hire Accessibility Fund Program by 75 percent for the year 2021 and reinstate the fees to their 2020 levels in 2022; and e. an amendment to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire, to extend the maximum age of vehicles used as a taxicab and sedan limousine from seven model years to eight model years for vehicles of the 2013 model year and onward and the maximum age of vehicles used as a stretch limousine from eight model years to nine model years for vehicles of the 2012 model year and onward.

The vote

Amend Item (Additional) · Carried, 20-2

For (20)Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Cynthia Lai, Frances Nunziata, Gord Perks, James Pasternak, Jennifer McKelvie, Joe Cressy, John Tory, Josh Matlow, Kristyn Wong-Tam, Mark Grimes, Michael Ford, Michael Thompson, Mike Colle, Mike Layton, Paul Ainslie, Paula Fletcher, Shelley Carroll, Stephen Holyday
Against (2)Denzil Minnan-Wong, John Filion
Absent (3)Anthony Perruzza, Gary Crawford, Jaye Robinson
The whole record, all 25 members

Every name opens that member’s record.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

Toronto's Taxicab industry has been experiencing economic hardship for over a decade, which has only been accelerated and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, the industry has lost over 90 percent of their business, with approximately 95 percent of the fleet having been parked or without service since the state of emergency began. As Toronto continues its cautious reopening, the Taxicab owners estimate it will take the Taxicab industry an additional 12-18 months to fully recover at full service levels and revenues.

Show the rest of As the city filed it, 586 more characters as filed

For the Taxicab industry to survive, they need immediate financial relief and assistance from the City of Toronto. Despite access to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), many taxi owners have indicated that they will be unable to pay the existing taxi renewal fees, and are concerned about their ability to replace their fleet when they reach the end of their current viability cycle. In keeping these factors in mind, we are requesting that the City Council to consider the following recommendations and provide immediate relief to taxi operators across the City of Toronto.

Staff recommended

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Paul Ainslie, recommends that: 1. City Council request the City Manager to consider, as part of his upcoming October 2020 COVID-19 Financial report, the reduction of taxicab licensing renewal fees for 2020. 2. City Council request the General Government and Licensing Committee, at its November meeting, to consider an amendment to Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 546,

Show the rest of Staff recommended, 388 more characters as filed

Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire to extend the maximum age of vehicles used as a taxicab, sedan limousine or private transportation company vehicle from seven model years to nine model years, for vehicles of the 2013 model year and onward, and the maximum age of vehicles used as a stretch limousine from eight model years to ten model years, for vehicles of the 2012 model year and onward.

    On the record

    The item as the City filed it

    More from this meeting

    The whole meeting