Toronto Star ePaper

Telecoms must provide cell service on subways

ANDREW PHILLIPS ANDREW PHILLIPS IS A TORONTOBASED STAFF COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR'S OPINION PAGE. REACH HIM

The Star has been doing a real public service by putting the big three telecom providers — Bell, Rogers and Telus — on the spot for failing to make cell service available in the subway at a time of rising public concern about violence on the TTC.

It’s not the biggest issue in the world, but it’s a concrete and doable step toward making people feel safer. That’s vital at a time when riders are fleeing the TTC in part because of fears about safety — fears brought into sharp focus by the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes at Keele station last weekend.

Toronto city councillor Chris Moise had this to say about the telecom companies that refuse to step up: “They should be embarrassed and they should be shamed into providing this service.”

So let me do my modest bit on that front: To Bell, Rogers and Telus: shame on you for ducking, diving and avoiding the issue every time it’s raised. It’s past time for you to get over whatever it is that’s stopping you from getting this right.

The Star’s Lex Harvey first highlighted the problem last September. But when she asked the companies why they won’t let their customers tap into the infrastructure that’s already in place on the TTC, they either wouldn’t respond (Rogers and Telus) or basically ducked the issue (Bell). Six months later, they’re still doing the same thing.

TTC riders tell the Star that having cell service would make them feel safer — connected to friends and emergency services if danger arises. And it’s clearly possible from a technical point of view. If you’re with Freedom Mobile, you can already connect to cell services in the subway.

My strong advice to the big three providers is to get on board. You know you’re not doing the right thing, and you’re already on the defensive. The longer you wait, the worse you’ll look. So just do it — asap.

Again, this is a relatively small thing. But Toronto has a crisis on its hands right now — a crisis of rising street crime and a crisis of confidence in the transit system. We know people are already avoiding the system and we have to make sure they don’t give up on it for good.

If there’s one single thing that’s key to ensuring a big city like Toronto keeps functioning well, with a busy, vibrant downtown, it’s having a safe and reliable transit system. Right now we’re heading in exactly the wrong direction, with increasing violence and more service cuts on the horizon. All the ingredients are in place for a downward spiral of the kind that’s all too obvious in many U.S. cities.

The mayoral race is our chance to debate this. The candidates need to spell out what they would do to fight the rise in violent crime and the fear that goes with it.

Of course we know there’s no quick fix. The kind of crime that’s spreading fear throughout the city is linked to deep, intractable issues like mental health and homelessness. Everyone knows all levels of government must be involved, that tackling the underlying causes of street violence is complicated and will take many years. Even Mark Saunders, who’s building his campaign for mayor around the need for safe communities, is careful to say there are no easy solutions.

But in this climate, woe betide the candidate who just lectures voters about the “root causes” of crime without offering hope for the shorter term. Mitzie Hunter, who jumped into the mayoral race this week, says she has a plan that involves a bigger police presence on the transit system as well as social workers to address mental health issues.

Crime and safety have already dominated mayoral races in U.S. cities like San Francisco, New York and Chicago. In Vancouver, Mayor Ken Sim rode concerns about increasing crime to the mayor’s office last fall, with a plan that broadly resembles the one outlined by Hunter.

That could well happen in Toronto. Candidates could start by demanding the telecom companies do their part by making TTC riders feel just a bit safer.

OPINION

en-ca

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://torontostar.pressreader.com/article/281840057930375

Toronto Star Newspapers Limited