Micro-mobility Couriers - by Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Shelley Carroll

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

2023-05-10 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on May 10, 11 and 12, 2023, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Managers of other City divisions as appropriate, to report back to the June 28, 2023 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on options for requiring motor-assisted micro-mobility vehicles (except motorized wheelchairs) to bear a unique identifier when being used for commercial purposes on a public thoroughfare.

Show the rest of As filed, 716 more characters as filed

2. City Council request the General Manager, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Managers of other City divisions as appropriate to ask courier companies to educate their delivery staff on the rules of the road and the importance of compliance. 3. City Council request the City Manager to report to the June 28, 2023 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee with recommendations on how to deter dangerous illegal behaviour by those who operate motorized or motor-assisted vehicles on sidewalks when pedestrians are present, such report to include a jurisdictional scan of other municipalities around the world struggling with similar issues.

The vote

Adopt Item as Amended · Carried, 12-8

For (12)Brad Bradford, Dianne Saxe, Frances Nunziata, Jamaal Myers, Jaye Robinson, Jennifer McKelvie, Jon Burnside, Lily Cheng, Nick Mantas, Shelley Carroll, Stephen Holyday, Vincent Crisanti

Against (8)Alejandra Bravo, Amber Morley, Anthony Perruzza, Ausma Malik, Chris Moise, Gord Perks, Josh Matlow, Paul Ainslie

Absent (5)Gary Crawford, James Pasternak, Michael Thompson, Mike Colle, Paula Fletcher

The whole record, all 25 members

Every name opens that member’s record.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

Couriers using motor-assisted micro-mobility vehicles, (including electric-assist bicycles, but not including motorized wheelchairs), provide valuable delivery services, without causing air pollution or congestion. Unfortunately, a minority of such couriers create safety hazards for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users by flagrantly ignoring traffic rules, travelling at high speeds and riding on sidewalks. Attempts to enforce traffic rules against such couriers has not been effective in discouraging this behaviour, partly because neither the couriers nor their vehicles bear clear identification.

Show the rest of As the city filed it, 453 more characters as filed

Accordingly, it is difficult to identify and locate offenders. This creates a culture of impunity, which further encourages illegal and hazardous behaviour. An essential step to overcoming this culture of impunity, and to facilitate enforcement, is to be able to reliably identify offending couriers. It is also the responsibility of the courier companies to better educate their couriers, and to set terms of employment that encourage legal compliance.

Staff recommended

Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Shelley Carroll, recommends that: 1. City Council request the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Managers of other City divisions as appropriate, to report back to the June 5, 2023 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on options for requiring motor-assisted micro-mobility vehicles (except motorized wheelchairs) to bear a unique identifier when being used for commercial purposes on a public thoroughfare.

Show the rest of Staff recommended, 524 more characters as filed

2. City Council request the General Manager, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Managers of other City divisions as appropriate to ask courier companies to educate their delivery staff on the rules of the road and the importance of compliance. 3. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board to request the Toronto Police Service to increase enforcement of illegal behaviour by micro-mobility couriers, particularly those who ride vehicles on sidewalks.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

More from this meeting

The whole meeting