As drunk-driving numbers skyrocket across the County, council has decided to cut already limited options for getting home safely after a night out.

A move to extend the subsidy agreement between the municipality and URide, a ride-sharing service that ferries home those under-equipped to drive, failed at last week’s meeting of council in a surprise turn against the staff-recommended motion.

The motion would have funded a wage subsidy — crucial in the gig economy — as well as a series of micro grants (less than $30,000) for private-sector solutions to community transport challenges. But it was ill-received by councillors who seemed not to understand the dangers of the county’s roadways at night.

Both the wage subsidy and the micro grant were to be funded through the County’s portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT). URide offers an important service to tourists out enjoying the fruits of the harvest in the summertime.

Meanwhile, local roadways weather the ill effects of drivers on drugs and/or alcohol.
As of November 30, Prince Edward OPP charged 82 motorists with suspicion of Driving Under the Influence this year — up from 68 this time in 2022, with 31 days still left on the calendar.

According to OPP Acting Sergeant Aaron Miller, while impaired driving charges are up 20 per cent in the East Region over the five-year average, local incidences are through the roof. DUI charges in Prince Edward County are 78 per cent higher than the five-year average.

“These are some very alarming trends,” he said.

Staff Approval
County Programs Supervisor Julianne Snepts evaluated the pilot project to establish local ride-hailing services, and recommended next steps to preserve and expand on-demand transport options in the County.

The pilot project originated through a portion of a $430,000 FedDev Ontario Tourism Relief Grant grant awarded to the municipality in 2021. The aim of the project was to build capacity into the local on-demand transportation array, limit impaired-driving offences and improve visitor experiences.

Ms. Snepts recommended continuing the relationship with URide with a smaller wage subsidy. The motion called for a decrease from $50,000 to $30,000 in 2024.

But Councillor Phil St. Jean said that while he supported the micro-grant program (less than $30,000), he worried the URide wage subsidy was unfair to local taxi companies.

“Part of my concern is what are we going to do for the businesses that have been here and are of long standing. We lost a taxi company last year. It really bothers me that we subsidized a new company to the detriment of an existing local business,” Mr. St. Jean said, tabling an amendment to reallocate $15,000 of the URide subsidy to the micro-grant envelope.

Cronkie’s Cabs ceased operations this summer. Just The Taxi Guy and Terry’s Taxi remain in service.
Councillor Janice Maynard said URide was more readily available to far off and rural areas, while the established taxi companies tend to operate in town.

“As presented, this motion reduces the subsidy to URide and also helps the taxi companies. We need to discourage impaired driving by having as many options as possible. Taxis are not always and widely available after a night of fun,” she said. “The chance of getting a taxi from Rossmore to Picton late in the evening isn’t great.”

Living Wage Subsidies
According to URide, it has made 5,300 trips since commencing operations in the County. Ridership was up 68 per cent in 2023 over the previous year.

The County’s wage subsidy ensured URide was a living-wage employer. If the fares collected by drivers were not enough to pay $22 per hour, the municipal subsidy closed the gap.

“The wage subsidy both makes it more affordable for the users of the system, it also makes sure the drivers are earning as good a wage as possible in the gig economy,” said Ms. Snepts.

Councillor Hirsch noted, “there isn’t a transportation system in the world that isn’t subsidized.”
Mr. Hirsch also applauded a review of the current taxi bylaw. That review deals with discrepancies between the ride share operation and the cab companies, and supported the MAT-funded micro-grant solutions for local transportation headaches.

In a stunning turn of events, the motion to support the URide program failed. In a recorded vote, Councillors Phil Prinzen, John Hirsch, Joyce Maynard, Kate MacNaughton and Mayor Steve Ferguson voted in favour of the motion. Councillors Brad Nieman, Phil St. Jean, David Harrison, Sam Grosso, Sam Branderhorst, Corey Engelsdorfer, Chris Braney and Roy Pennell voted in opposition.

Councillors, who have been inundated with complaints, expect to reconsider at a future meeting.
In next week’s Gazette, we hear from Rick Marshall of The Taxi Guy and URide Ontario Operations Manager Vince Scott on the ramifications of the decision.