Greetings from your Friendly Neighbourhood Taxi Driver,

2022 continues to be a challenging year for Ontario Taxi Brokers, Taxi Owners, and many other professionals who require valid Commercial Vehicle Insurance in Ontario.

Since 2019, the cartel of insurance companies operating in the province have launched a unified campaign, forcing all taxi cab owners to obtain commercial vehicle insurance through the Facilities Market, independent of their driving history.

The Facilities Insurance Market is the ‘last resort’ insurance option for drivers convicted of DUI, Stunt Racing, Insurance Fraud, or premium defaults as these charges preclude eligibility for the normally available ‘voluntary insurance market’.  The Facilities Market also has the highest insurance premiums.

During 2022 insurance renewals, drivers with a 10 years (or greater) clean driving records are being charged over $11,000 a year for insurance, up from $5,500 just 3 years ago.  A single incident in the past three years will cause driver’s premiums to increase to $20,000 or more.

The Facilities Market is intended to be a ‘safety net’ for bad drivers, and has a built-in path to rehabilitation.  Over time, even the worst driver can change their ways, maintain a safe driving record, and be graduated out of the Facilities Market.  No such path exists for Commercial Operators.

Just ponder that for a minute:  A driver convicted of multiple DUIs has a greater chance of obtaining fair priced insurance than a cab driver with 15 years of accident-free driving.   This is not right.

Taxi operators are essential front-line workers, and throughout the pandemic, they provided critical transportation services, safely and effectively, to so many others in our communities.  Now we are the ones looking for assistance.

Now is the time for the Provincial Government to confront the oligopoly of insurance providers, and to demand a reasonable alternative to the current Facilities Market option.  Additionally, insurance relief for the ground transportation industry must be revisited at the provincial level.  Finally, the review and amendment of Ontario Regulation 644 (Insurance Act - R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 664) would greatly assist the taxi industry.

We look for your support of this petition to highlight this industry crippling situation.  

We truly need your help.  

Thank You.