Toronto considering mandatory training for Uber, Lyft drivers

Terb considering minimum IQ level for thread posters

wigglee said:

Terb considering minimum IQ level for thread posters

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Don’t do it! This place’ll be a ghost town!

canada-man said:

Toronto considering mandatory training for Uber, Lyft drivers.

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Can't hurt. But as someone who used to take cabs then switched to Uber, I feel more comfortable with Uber drivers on the whole. The majority of Toronto cabbies are bad drivers and most of the cars are nowhere as clean and falling apart. That and Uber costs way less. Haven't tried Lyft.

Seems to me there should be some requirement to know your way around the area you are driving in. Recently a passenger in an Uber car was killed because the driver did not know the way to Pearson airport.

So, why did we institute graduated licensing? This looks like a solution in search of a problem and I'll bet anyone a whole dollar that the city doesn't have evidence one way or another except anecdotal. On the other hand, that taxi lobby would love it, smaller competition.

jcpro said:

So, why did we institute graduated licensing? This looks like a solution in search of a problem and I'll bet anyone a whole dollar that the city doesn't have evidence one way or another except anecdotal. On the other hand, that taxi lobby would love it, smaller competition.

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Exactly!

Always ask who is pulling the strings. Then ask who is pulling the stringers strings and so on. Usually the strings eventually converge.

I feel like a minimum fare per km/minute is needed more than additional training at this point. It's kind of disgusting how little the drivers make.

rhuarc29 said:

I feel like a minimum fare per km/minute is needed more than additional training at this point. It's kind of disgusting how little the drivers make.

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Why? Nobody is forcing them to work for ride sharing companies. Besides, if the money is so bad, why are so many people doing it? It's not exactly a highly skilled job.

rhuarc29 said:

I feel like a minimum fare per km/minute is needed more than additional training at this point. It's kind of disgusting how little the drivers make.

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Further to your comment about how little drivers make. I regularly ask drivers if the money is good. The ones who drive on weekends say it's okay. The ones who drive evenings during the week say the money is really good. The reason being less competition.

Toronto should require them to pass the "knowledge" exam.

danmand said:

Toronto should require them to pass the "knowledge" exam.

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Presumably they needed to pass a knowledge test to get their licence.

GameBoy27 said:

Presumably they needed to pass a knowledge test to get their licence.

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Likely not as hard as the one London taxi drivers must pass.

danmand said:

Likely not as hard as the one London taxi drivers must pass.

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I don't disagree. Sweet Jesus, don't get me started. Getting a licence here is a joke. You don't even have to take lessons and many driving instructors teach you how to pass the lame-ass test, not how to drive. Just look at how many drivers don't understand what the left lane on a highway is for. I wish we adopted Britain or Germany's education and testing procedures. That would make me very happy.

GameBoy27 said:

Why? Nobody is forcing them to work for ride sharing companies. Besides, if the money is so bad, why are so many people doing it? It's not exactly a highly skilled job.

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Should we get rid of the minimum wage, too? It's effectively the same thing. Why are so many doing it? Because the barrier to entry is low and they've been deceived by Uber's advertising into thinking they'll make a killing.

GameBoy27 said:

Further to your comment about how little drivers make. I regularly ask drivers if the money is good. The ones who drive on weekends say it's okay. The ones who drive evenings during the week say the money is really good. The reason being less competition.

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Most of them aren't smart enough to factor in maintenance and depreciation. I've shown two Uber drivers who thought they were making good money how lousy their earnings actually are.

GameBoy27 said:

I don't disagree. Sweet Jesus, don't get me started. Getting a licence here is a joke. You don't even have to take lessons and many driving instructors teach you how to pass the lame-ass test, not how to drive. Just look at how many drivers don't understand what the left lane on a highway is for. I wish we adopted Britain or Germany's education and testing procedures. That would make me very happy.

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We agree on this.

How about mandatory training for Toronto council?

rhuarc29 said:

I feel like a minimum fare per km/minute is needed more than additional training at this point. It's kind of disgusting how little the drivers make.

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Agreed, Uber and Lyft are race to the bottom technology.

It's not the license to drive a cab or a livery that's the problem, it's getting the license to become an independent operator. It's a monopoly and the fee to own one amounts to a property mortgage. Since the personal transport business is sensitive to economic fluctuations, if you're not a multi - millionaire, you'll lose your underwear. As the system works there are a few fat cats and the rest live by hand to mouth. Which is why I didn't convert my cars to propane, I wanted a decent price for them once I got out. Maybe Uber may make the licenses cheaper, that would help the drivers.

One of the architects of the system AA Zahavy now has a street named after him leading into Pearson. Can you see the irony in that?

GameBoy27 said:

Can't hurt. But as someone who used to take cabs then switched to Uber, I feel more comfortable with Uber drivers on the whole. The majority of Toronto cabbies are bad drivers and most of the cars are nowhere as clean and falling apart. That and Uber costs way less. Haven't tried Lyft.

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Cabbies think they own the road and can do whatever they want with no consideration for others.

Yip, ever notice Cabbies also drive much slower when ur a passenger. I rather take the bus or walk first and Uber before I take a cab.