Toronto taxi companies say they won't do surge pricing

Toronto taxis don't want anything to do with Uber's surge pricing, even if new rules allow them to adopt such strategies.

"We will not be incorporating it into our business model," promised Rita Smith of the Toronto Taxi Alliance. "We believe that surge pricing has no place in superior customer service."

This marks one key way that traditional taxicabs can positively differentiate themselves from Uber X, which many users claim isn't just cheaper, but also more user-friendly. Well, that is except when surge pricing is in effect.

The notorious increase in rates during particularly busy periods or events has earned the company plenty of customer ire, but it's shown no signs of discontinuing a practice that's often characterized as gouging.

The big question is whether or not the refusal to use surge pricing will earn conventional cabs additional customer loyalty in what continues to be an epic battle between the two services.

Photo by Gabi in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Derek Flack via blogTO