Not to be outdone by Uber’s ‘ridesharing insurance’ announcement, Beck Taxi, a Toronto area taxi provider, revealed a new initiative aimed at lowering meter rates today.
Beck stated in a press release that its intent is to meet “the changing expectations of Toronto’s taxi riders.” To accomplish this, the company has launched an online petition that encourages City Hall to make taxi fares more affordable (Toronto taxi fares are regulated and set by the municipal government).
To enter a Beck Taxi, or any other taxi cab in Toronto, costs $4.25. However, Beck is suggesting an “initial” meter drop of $4.25, which would make the ride more affordable. In addition, the petition is suggesting that each 0.143 km traveled cost $0.25, while the cost for idle time be reduced to 0.25 cents per every 29 seconds.
“Beck has listened to riders and fully agrees they should have access to more affordable fares that compete with alternative services,” said Kristine Hubbard, operations manager at Beck Taxi. “City Hall is currently reviewing ground transportation regulations and we’d like pricing to be a meaningful part of that discussion.”
In an effort to remain relevant, the company also plans to launch a new app that will allow riders to pay for their fare via credit card and PayPal, track a Beck taxis on a real-time map and order a ride up to 30 days in advance.
Uber, one of Beck’s competitors, offers its services in Toronto. It also recently expanded to London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and Guelph. The popular ridesharing service was hit with a $400 million class-action lawsuit in July that was led by several Ontario-based taxi and limo owners.
Patrick O’Rourke contributed to this article
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