Canadian Taxi Association - Seniors, disabled will be impacted as insurance crisis takes up to 1000 taxis off the road

OTTAWA, March 4, 2020 /CNW/ - Senior citizens and others who rely upon Accessible taxis are at risk of losing this service as Ontario's taxi industry is facing a crisis in insurance coverage.

 "The number of taxi cabs which are being parked and taken completely out of service is horrendous," says Marc Andre Way, President of the Canadian Taxi Association (CTA).

"In Hamilton alone, City Council members have been notified by licensing staff that 25 per cent of licensed taxis are now parked because they cannot obtain insurance. Communities across Ontario are facing dire circumstances on account of this insurance crisis."

Toronto's Licensing division reports that already 719 licenses have been returned to them. The number of "parked" cabs could climb to as many as 1,000 or more in the weeks ahead as insurance renewals are denied.

This crisis means that riders who require Accessible Taxis for medical appointments and other travel may soon be unable to receive on-demand Accessible taxi service; even standard, non-Accessible taxis may be unavailable.

The CTA, working with Philomena Comerford of Baird MacGregor Insurance Brokers who are experts in the taxi insurance field, have proposed at least a partial solution to this crisis: they are asking Ontario to amend Regulation 664 to allow Loss Transfer for taxis as is allowed for other vehicles.  

"Amending Regulation 664 will not cost the province any money and does not require legislation, it is a simple regulation change which will encourage insurers to stay in the taxi market," says Way.

"We suggested this idea during Ontario's Pre-Budget consultations, although in fact, the change could be made at any time. We hope Ontario will consider amending Regulation 664 as at least a partial solution to the taxi industry insurance crisis before it begins to have a serious negative impact on senior citizens and those who require accessible taxis."

The CTA works with its members across Canada to:

• improve service standards by sharing information with each other including best practices from proven operators in certain aspects of their business model.
• introduce new technology or new services to make their businesses more competitive.
• provide access to suppliers that can reduce operating costs.
• deliver consistent customer service across the nation regardless of city or locale.

SOURCE Canadian Taxi Association