Toronto will look into new rules for ride-sharing after Uber drove away with kid

Nicole Brockbank · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 25 minutes ago

Toronto metropolis assembly adopted a question Thursday directing unit to recommend regulatory changes for ride-sharing companies successful emergencies, aft an Uber drove distant with a 5-year-old miss past month.

CBC Toronto archetypal reported connected the incidental earlier this week. The child's mother, Julia, said Uber representatives refused to assistance link her oregon Toronto constabulary with the driver, contempt explaining the exigency situation. Within astir an hr and a half, officers were capable to find the young miss with the unwitting operator without assistance from Uber.

Coun. Mike Colle's question is looking for companies similar Uber and Lyft to instrumentality greater accountability to straight assistance customers and constabulary successful exigency situations similar this. 

"We're going to inquire them to fundamentally change the rules, oregon we whitethorn marque changes to compel them to fundamentally alteration their rules for exigency information reasons," said Colle. 

"This benignant of happening could hap to immoderate of america … the constabulary should beryllium capable to interaction these drivers successful lawsuit there's an exigency situation."

Colle's question says the city's existent regulatory model doesn't supply immoderate remedy to passengers successful an emergency, nor immoderate punishment for operators. The requested reappraisal would look astatine the existent rules and urge further licensing requirements for vehicle-for-hire companies and drivers.

At metropolis hallway Thursday, Julia said she connected with Colle aft helium work CBC's story, and the councillor told her helium wanted to help. CBC is lone utilizing her archetypal sanction to support the individuality of her daughter.

"To spot that determination is really immoderate enactment being taken present connected the governmental broadside of things gives maine a batch of hope that not lone is this being taken precise earnestly — and it's being considered thing rather urgent — but that possibly we tin truly impact alteration here," she said.

"I'm trusting the process and I'm truly looking guardant to seeing wherever this goes."

In a connection for the archetypal story, an Uber spokesperson said the information of everyone who uses the level is the company's apical priority. 

The institution said its enactment squad followed Uber's modular protocols, which are designed to support the privateness and information of each users. Uber also said its squad advised the rider to interaction instrumentality enforcement and, erstwhile constabulary reached out, the institution shared its protocol for an expedited request. Once Uber received the petition the institution says it supported the solution.

WATCH | Mom acrophobic astir Uber policies: 

Julia antecedently told CBC Toronto she's looking for the ride-sharing institution to perpetrate to changing its exigency effect procedures truthful that others don't acquisition what she did if minors are near successful an Uber.

"I made it precise clear, you tin connection maine $1 million. If determination are nary argumentation changes, I volition not beryllium accepting that, I request to spot argumentation alteration here," Julia said. 

"No 1 should person to spell done what we went through."