Thank you for your question and interest in the issue of Transportation Network Companies (T.N.C.).

Bill 118 was approved by the Province of Ontario to:

1) Prohibit driving with display screens and other devices in motor vehicles (some exceptions apply)

• Among other items, this amendment does not apply to handheld wireless communication devices (i.e. cell phones) provided that the individual is using the device in “hands-free mode”.

2) Amend the definition of “public vehicle” and “taxicab”  to exclude  any motor vehicle which fulfills all of the following criteria:

• has a seating capacity of 10 or less;
• travelling on a one-way or round trip where the taking of passengers is incidental to the driver’s purpose for the trip;
• no fee is charged or paid for passengers’ transportation except to reimburse the expenses of operating the motor vehicle;
• the driver does not take passengers on more than one-way  or round-trip in a day; and
• the owner or lessee of the motor vehicle does not use more than one vehicle as a car pool vehicle, unless the owner or lessee employs most of the passengers being transported in the vehicles.

The points above are intended to define what a “car-pool vehicle” is and the purpose of amending the definitions and repealing the definition of “car pool vehicle” was to provide greater clarity. The Public Vehicles Act, 1990 does not regulate car-pooling.

T.N.C. (which are also commonly referred to as “ride-sharing companies”) vehicles operate differently from car-pooling vehicles and do not meet the criteria of car-pool vehicles detailed above. One example is that T.N.C. vehicles take paying passengers, for profit, to destinations that are not “on the way” to the driver’s final destination. Operating a vehicle in such a manner in the City of Oshawa requires that the owner of the vehicle comply with the City’s Taxicab Licensing By-law.

Hi Volkert,

Thanks for that question! The planning and operation of public transportation services including bus service and regional rail system (Go Train) in Oshawa falls under the purview of the Region of Durham and the Provincial Agency Metrolinx. However, regulated private transportation services (e.g. Taxis and Designated Drivers) play a role in connecting the travelling public to public transportation services. Accordingly, the City will be consulting with the Region and other stakeholders on their perspectives on T.N.C. Details on the creation of cycle lanes (“bike lanes”) can be found in the City’s Active Transportation Master Plan or by contacting our City’s Transportation Engineer Ranjit Gill rgill@oshawa.ca. 

Thanks for your interest in the T.N.C. consultation process.

Staff were directed by the Corporate Services Committee to consult with Taxis, Designated Driving Services and the general public prior to consulting with T.N.C.s (also referred to as “ridesharing companies”).

Staff will be meeting with individual Transportation Network Companies in the months of July and August; other stakeholders are encouraged to participate in a general public consultation meeting. Two are scheduled for Wednesday, June 28.

Alternatively, feedback can also be provided through the online survey.

Hi Nonni, thank you for your question!

The City is undertaking this industry and public stakeholder consultation process to discuss Transportation Network Companies (T.N.C.) also known as ridesharing companies (e.g. Uber, RideCo, etc.) and their role within the city's network of private transportation services, with the taxi industry, designated driving industry and general public.

Feedback received from the online and in-person opportunities will be considered during the development of regulatory policy options that will be presented to Council in fall 2017.

Thank you for your comments, srs62. Be sure to also capture them in your stakeholder-specific survey, now live on the site.

A Transportation Network Company or “T.N.C.” is a company that connects paying passengers with drivers of private vehicles-for-hire solely through a mobile application or “app”.

The general business model of a T.N.C. is as follows:

1. A customer requests a ride using the T.N.C.’s app
2. The T.N.C. driver picks up the customer and transports them to their destination
3. At the end of the ride, both the driver and customer rate each other

The entire transaction from hailing the ride to payment is facilitated through the T.N.C.’s app.

No. Presently, the general business model of T.N.Cs does not comply with the City’s Taxicab Licensing By-law 50-2003.

While T.N.C., Taxicab, and to a lesser extent, Designated Drivers offer similar services, they differ in the following three ways:

• Conveyance of passenger(s)
• Arranging or Hailing of Rides
• Employment Classification of Driver

Additional details:

The City is presently undertaking an extensive industry stakeholder and public consultation process to discuss the role of T.N.C.s within the city’s network of private transportation services, which include the regulated Taxicab and Designated Driving (D.D.) services industries. Following the consultation process, staff will assess the feedback and report back to the Corporate Services Committee with regulatory policy options at their September 11, 2017 meeting.