Toronto vs. Uber, and the future of rideshares 

In today’s Big Story Podcast, it started as a way to earn a few extra bucks on the side — or at least that’s how Uber was pitched to potential drivers when it came to Canada in 2014. But now for many it’s way to (try to) earn a living, one that’s been getting tougher for years, and streets become crowded with empty Ubers hunting their next fares.

Thorben Wieditz is an urban geographer and the co-founder of MetStrat, a research and campaign firm that specializes in public interest campaigns, including RideFairTO (Read his piece in Ricochet). “We know that Uber cars are circulating empty about 48 per cent of the time. This contributes to added vehicle kilometers traveled in the city of Toronto,” said Wieditz. 

That’s one of many reasons Toronto placed a cap on handing out new rideshare licenses this fall, a move that’s prompted Uber to sue the city. The fight between Toronto an Uber offers a perfect window into ridesharing — how it grew beyond what cities prepared for, and where it will go next, win or lose.