Taxi drivers have always had a contentious relationship with ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, as the apps took over much of the passenger volume in major cities across the globe. Canadian drivers finally have a way to fight back, however, as President Trump’s tariff war has driven a wave of national pride in the country and could drive passengers back to locally-owned taxi shops.
The CBC reported that Canadian taxi companies and a rideshare app based in the country have called on Toronto city officials to ban U.S.-based ridesharing services. The request is part of the city’s ”Buy Local, Buy Canadian” campaign, which asks that Uber, Lyft, and others be banned.
One taxi company manager told the CBC that, “Every taxi you see is a small independent, licensed business in the city, in this country, and so, I do think if we’re talking about supporting local Canadian businesses, small businesses in particular, this is the perfect opportunity. Let’s stop supporting these giant tech companies who are siphoning money out of our country.”
Unsurprisingly, rideshare companies aren’t happy about the protests. Uber Canada said that banning its services would hurt local drivers. The company also noted that it employs 500 people at its headquarters in the country and that 180,000 drivers support its operations across Canada.
While the outcome of the trade negotiations remains to be seen, the early impact is a souring of U.S.-Canada relations. American booze has been pulled from shelves in the country, and many Canadians have canceled travel plans to the U.S., taking to social media to share photos of canceled flights and hotel reservations.
[Images: Koshiro K, sockagphoto, Danille Nicole Wilson via Shutterstock]
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