What's Happening in Toronto, ON…

Since it first came on the scene in Toronto about three years ago, Uber and its evolving service offerings have been shaking things up in the city of Toronto.

Its latest launch

, UberHop, which was unveiled earlier this week, uses the smartphone app to arrange a ride with a minivan or SUV for up to four of five passengers from one of four fixed pickup and drop off locations in the city. The fare for each passenger is $5 per ride.

This service targets residents living in high-density areas, including Liberty Village, the Distillery District, Fort York and City Place. There are plenty of commuters in these areas who UberHop is banking on taking advantage of this new service.

While the taxi industry disagrees with the city allowing Uber to operate its services, the rest of the population doesn’t seem to have a problem with the service. However, the union protecting TTC workers now sees UberHop as rivaling its services, so it wants the city to step in and offer protection to its members.

While there are certainly legal arguments to be made in the case of the taxi industry, many people comment that this is the way the world is going. Social innovation is breaking down barriers and re-writing the rules. Just as the Print industry and printing companies were forced to evolve in the face of the popularity of the internet, the transpiration industry is being forced to evolve or face extinction by more innovative service operators. Get a Free Quote for Print