Events in toronto: There's already a petition to stop Ontario from taking over the TTC

Thursday, September 6, 2018

There's already a petition to stop Ontario from taking over the TTC

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a ton of petitions and protests coming his way lately. The newest opposes his proposed "upload" of Toronto's transit system to the province.

In mid-August, Ford announced plans to take over control of the TTC, removing it from the jurisdiction of the city and assuming control over any future transit lines, fares, and every other aspect that affects the daily lives of Torontonians.

But a Toronto advocacy group, TTC Riders, wants to do its part to stop the process. The group has started a petition to let the Premier and PC government know how many residents are opposed to the upload.

Join us on Monday September 3 to march for public transit in the Labour Day parade! More info ➡️ https://t.co/i7CvqLPa9X #ourTTC #keeptransitpublic pic.twitter.com/avE9KKZN9l
— TTCriders (@ttcriders) August 31, 2018

"The TTC belongs to Toronto," the petition reads, "Premier Doug Ford's plan to break apart the TTC will mean higher fares, less say for riders, and worse service, and opens the door to privatization."

The TTC belongs to Toronto. I just took action to stop @FordNation's plan to break apart the #TTC by sending a message to Premier Ford and Transportation Minister Yakabuski. Sign the @TTCriders petition here: https://t.co/MHRoglB5wo #ourTTC #keeptransitpublic
— deangirl1 (@deangirl1) September 5, 2018

Last week, Ford appointed Michael Lindsay to oversee the upload, in an attempt to move forward quickly, much like his council cuts earlier this summer.

Join us at Kennedy Station tonight to talk to transit riders in #Scarborough and collect petition signatures to keep the #TTC in Toronto's hands. 5:30pm-7pm, meet at the Gateway inside the station. RSVP: https://t.co/OaYLa81CId pic.twitter.com/ZiRPw0zOld
— TTCriders (@ttcriders) September 5, 2018

The Ontario government did not allow public opinion to sway its decision on cutting council in half, so the city has filed in court. Only time can tell if the democratically-elected government will listen to the people this time around.