In September, the Ottawa woman booked a trip with Amigo Express, a company that connects drivers with passengers looking to share the costs of long-distance trips, in what she expected would be a four-seat sedan.
But when she showed up on her day of departure, a shuttle-style van with an unfamiliar licence plate and more than a dozen random strangers inside was waiting for her.
“It was clear to me that there were people who maybe had booked from other services [like] Kijiji or Craigslist,” Feder said.
“I decided I was not going to get into the car.”
‘I decided I was not going to get into the car,’ Feder said. (Yasmine Mehdi/Radio-Canada)
Kijiji, Craigslist and other such sites are filled with requests from drivers seeking passengers to share the cost of one-off trips, such as chipping in for gas, a practice that’s completely above board.
But there are also posts offering multiple trips a day in state-of-the-art vans equipped with the internet and other amenities — and that sort of unlicensed carpooling is prohibited in both Ontario and Quebec.
Strict rules
In Ontario, transportation services that take passengers across municipal boundaries for a fee — aside from taxis and personal carpools — must have a proper operating licence through the Ontario Highway Transport Board.
Under the Public Vehicles Act, carpooling vehicles cannot carry more than 10 people.
They can only make a single, one-way or round trip per day, drivers can only charge to cover the costs of operating the vehicle, and the presence of passengers must be “incidental” to the driver’s purpose for the trip, according to transportation ministry spokesperson Kristine Bunker.
“Drivers offering intercity rideshare services for compensation above and beyond reimbursement for expenses incurred to operate the vehicle are in contravention of these requirements,” wrote Bunker in an email.
The regulations are also clear in Quebec: According to a statement on the transportation’s ministry website, there is “no such thing as commercial carpooling.”
A quick scan of sites like Kijiji and Craigslist turns up a number of drivers offering passengers rides for a fee. There are strict rules around paying for an intercity carpool, and a Radio-Canada investigation has found a number of drivers are willing to skirt them. (Radio-Canada)
As part of an investigation into the scope of illegal carpooling, Radio-Canada reserved a trip from Ottawa to Montreal with a driver who was offering six trips — three there and three back — each day.
Using hidden cameras, Radio-Canada reporters showed up at the meeting point twice to find the same driver in the same vehicle.
When asked if he had a special Ontario permit for this type of trip, the driver said he didn’t and then told the reporters to “take a Greyhound” instead.
Contacted by Radio-Canada a few days later, the driver said he had ended this sort of activity. As of Friday, however, his advertisement was still online.
No licensing, no oversight
Radio-Canada also spoke to a group of people waiting for a similar carpooling pickup in the ByWard Market. Many said they weren’t worried about safety risks, calling it a more affordable option than taking either the bus or the train.
“It is a problem,” said Kristine D’Arbelles, a spokesperson with the CAA.
D’Arbelles said the internet has made illegal carpooling much easier, with risks to passengers. There’s no way of knowing if the driver has a valid driver’s licence, if they’re insured, or what condition their vehicle is in, she said.
“There is no licensing and there is no oversight,” she said.
CAA spokesperson Kristine D’Arbelles says illegal carpooling is concerning because drivers may be unlicensed and therefore not subject to oversight. (Yasmine Mehdi/Radio-Canada)
Amigo Express, also known as Kangaride, declined an interview with Radio-Canada.
The company’s director, Marc-Olivier Vachon, wrote in an email the company was taking all steps to stem the improper use of sites like Kijiji.
A spokesperson with Kijiji said the site is taking measures to counter illegal carpooling, and has a “dedicated commitment” to comply with the law.
“We commit significant resources toward the detection and prevention of activities that infringe our policies — this includes industry-leading technology and a dedicated community support team, in addition to help from our community of Kijiji users who flag inappropriate postings,” wrote Marie-Philippe Busque in an email.
As for Feder, while she was able to get her booking refunded, she ended up having to take an expensive last-minute train to Toronto.
“Although they did give me credits, I haven’t used the service since,” she said.
TORONTO – MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley and Toronto FC’s top officials have promised change at the ailing MLS club, which is sitting out the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Pelley says while the franchise’s entire organizational structure is under review, it is going to take some time to find the right answers.
Coach John Herdman says he is looking for young, athletic and durable talent to help turn around a club which he said started the season strongly but finished weakly.
Toronto (11-19-4) was eliminated from playoff contention in a 1-0 loss Oct. 5 to visiting Inter Miami. It will watch the regular season finale from the sidelines, with a bye the final weekend.
Toronto has not made the playoffs since 2020, when it exited at the first hurdle in an upset loss to expansion Nashville. Its regular-season record since then is 30-75-21, with coaches Chris Armas and Bob Bradley fired along the way.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024
HAMILTON – There’ll be no playoff games this year for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but head coach Scott Milanovich feels the club can get a head start on changing that narrative in 2025.
Hamilton hosts Calgary on Friday night in a battle between two non-playoff teams. The Ticats will finish fourth in the East Division while the Stampeders remain fifth in the West, three points behind idle Edmonton with two regular-season games remaining.
“There’s momentum that can be built at the end of the season,” said Milanovich, who’s completing his first season as Hamilton’s head coach/offensive coordinator. “I’ve been part of situations where momentum was built and then the following season it took off.
“What I don’t want to have happen is have a lull where you lose what we’ve kind of started building over the last six weeks. I want to take that into the off-season and training camp.”
Hamilton (6-10) played itself back into playoff contention with four straight victories before suffering a 31-10 home loss to Winnipeg on Oct. 4. The Toronto Argonauts (9-7) eliminated the Ticats from post-season contention with a 14-11 road win over the Blue Bombers last Friday.
For some coaches, that would present an opportunity to audition new players under game conditions. But Milanovich said his priority is to field the best team possible in order to secure the victory, although he did leave the door open to getting backup quarterback Taylor Powell some reps down the stretch.
“He may not play, I’m not making any promises,” Milanovich said. “But other than him we’re playing the best guys available.”
With that in mind, rookie Greg Bell will start at running back ahead of veteran James Butler, who’ll come off the roster. Cornerback Jamal Peters (neck) is out while defensive lineman Nick Usher (ankle) returns.
For Calgary (4-11-1), receiver Cam Echols (head) comes into the lineup while receiver Cam Tucker (hamstring) goes off.
Hamilton starter Bo Levi Mitchell will get a second shot at earning his first win over his former team. Mitchell, who spent his first 10 CFL seasons with Calgary before joining the Ticats in 2023, completed 27-of-38 passes for 300 yards with a TD and interception in a 32-24 season-opening road loss to the Stampeders on June 7.
Mitchell leads the CFL in passing yards (4,576), touchdowns (26) and interceptions (16). The 34-year-old Texan, a two-time Grey Cup champion and twice the league’s outstanding player, is closing in on his third 5,000-yard passing campaign.
The contest is Hamilton’s last this season at Tim Hortons Field, where it is 3-5. But the Ticats have won three of their last four home games against Calgary.
Life on the road has been miserable for the Stampeders, who’re 0-7 this season away from McMahon Stadium. In fact, they’re just 1-12 in their last 13 games away from home.
Having said that, though, Calgary is looking for its first season sweep of Hamilton since 2018.
“We’re trying to win, that’s the first priority and will always be,” Dave Dickenson, Calgary’s head coach/GM, told reporters in the Alberta city this week. “We’ll probably rotate more, for sure we will … but we still expect the same performance and the same execution no matter who plays.”
American Matt Shiltz will start at quarterback for Calgary. He was 18-of-33 passing for 215 yards with a TD an interception in the Stamps’ 23-18 home loss to Edmonton (6-11) last week while rushing five times for 64 yards.
Shiltz spent two seasons in Hamilton (2022-23) before joining the Stampeders in free agency.
“I think he did some good things for us (versus Edmonton),” Dickenson said of Shiltz. “He’s going up against his former team and probably has some familiarity there but different coaches.
“Hopefully he feels good with how our offence is structured and can make plays.”
Calgary is riding an eight-game winless streak (0-7-1) and sports a 2-4-1 record against East Division teams. Hamilton is 2-7 versus the West Division.
Both teams will finish their season on the road. Hamilton travels to Ottawa on Oct. 25 while Calgary visits Saskatchewan the following night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – Immanuel Quickley is questionable for the Toronto Raptors final pre-season game.
The guard has missed Toronto’s first four tune-up games with a sprained thumb.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic says that Quickley has been cleared for all practice and team activities but that the team would be cautious about putting him into an actual game.
Toronto visits the Brooklyn Nets on Friday to close out its pre-season, then hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in its home opener.
Quickley moved over to point guard after the Raptors acquired him on Dec. 30 in a trade with the New York Knicks.
He averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 38 games for Toronto in that new role last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
