Ambassador Taxi drivers of Toronto Champion Taxi Licensing Reform

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal convened from May 10th through to the 14th to decide on the merits of Asafo Addai’s cries of institutionalized racism. Asafo Addai asserts that the City of Toronto has discriminated against minorities by limiting them to Ambassador Plates instead of standard ones.

Addai and his legal team claimed that the city has failed to fulfill its promises to arrange a benefits package for Ambassador

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal convened from May 10th through to the 14th to decide on the merits of Asafo Addai’s cries of institutionalized racism. Asafo Addai asserts that the City of Toronto has discriminated against minorities by limiting them to Ambassador Plates instead of standard ones.

Addai and his legal team claimed that the city has failed to fulfill its promises to arrange a benefits package for Ambassador Driers and to phase out standard plates.

The court heard testimony from many taxi drivers including Asafo Addai, Abraham Mayne, and Sajid Mughal on the economic realities of working as an Ambassador Taxi Driver.

The City was represented by Bruce Robertson, Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards. Mr. Robertson testified that the city had on file, photographs of nearly every taxi driver.
The hearing concluded with the inauguration of an exploratory body set up for the purpose of examining the photographs to determine the proportion of visible minorities who hold Ambassador Plates in direct correlation to the drivers who have been allowed to own Standard Plates.

Proceedings were adjourned pending the findings of the photographic analysis. The Immigrant Post Magazine will follow the proceedings and report on the continued battle for equity and equal opportunity for our Ambassadors of Toronto.

Simon Shirley,
Photojournalist, Immigrant Post
Magazine