Uber, Lyft drivers now allowed to pick up travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is now allowing travellers to use ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft for pick ups and drop offs at Toronto Pearson Airport under a new pilot project.

Airport officials say they see an average of 100,000 ride sharing requests per month and the option to use Uber or Lyft will give passengers another transportation alternative.

“Following significant demand from our passengers, we believe that a pilot of full ride sharing options is timely at Toronto Pearson, and in line with other airports across Canada and the U.S. already offering this service,” said Scott Collier, vice president of customer and terminal services at GTAA, said.

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“We appreciate the collaboration of the ground transportation industry in sharing their feedback and welcome another opportunity to offer our passengers choice in their transportation options.”

But Beck Taxi’s Kristine Hubbard said the added vehicular traffic at Pearson will only add congestion to an already high traffic area.

“If public safety and consumer protection is the mandate of government, they’ve absolutely turned their backs,” Hubbard said.

“They’ll be surge pricing here, we’ll see that these drivers who are not trained, will be cruising around the airport and this idea again, that’s utilizing existing infrastructure, is absolutely false. It’s well known that Uber helps people find leased vehicles that they didn’t previously own.”

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Previously, the GTAA said only premium ride hailing services such as Uber Black, Select, SUV and Lyft Premium could conduct pick ups from the airport.

The GTAA said the airport accommodates 47 million passengers and more than 49,000 workers annually.

For Lyft customers, travellers arriving at Terminal 1 must proceed to the Ground Level and head to doors P or Q to meet their drivers. Those arriving at Terminal 3 must go to Arrivals Level Zone 3 and meet their drivers on the middle curb.

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Meanwhile, Uber customers have multiple pick-up and drop-off areas, depending on the type of vehicle chosen.

For UberX and UberXL requests, travellers at Terminal 1 meet at Ground Level outside Door Q and Terminal 3 at the Arrivals Level at Door D in the outer curb near Zone 3.

For UberBLACK, UberSelect and UberSUV requests, travellers at Terminal 1 meet at Arrivals Level outside Door A and Terminal 3 at Arrivals Level outside Door A at column 9.

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— With a file from Mark Carcasole