Thousands of cabbies will converge on Queen’s Park Wednesday morning to protest the apparently illegal daily operation of Uber Taxi. It may make driving downtown a little difficult. As many as 2000 drivers from across the GTA are expected to meet at four points across Toronto and make their way to both Queen’s Park and City Hall. Drivers are demanding that politicians enforce city bylaws. The city is working on new rules that will reduce regulations for the taxi industry and introduce regulations for ride sharing services like Uber. That’s expected in next year some time but in the meantime the taxi industry is calling on city hall to enforce the current bylaw, which Mayor John Tory has said means that Uber is operating “outside of the law.” The protest will begin at 7:30 a.m. with drivers meeting at Yonge and Queen’s Quay, 427 and Rexdale Blvd, Victoria Park and Sheppard, and Yonge and Steeles. Drivers have been advised by the iTaxiworkers Association to keep moving and not deliberately slow traffic, but with so many extra vehicles in the already congested core, the demonstration is sure to have an impact on local traffic.
