TORONTO - Mayor Rob Ford slammed the brakes Tuesday on any suggestion he should get a driver.
Ford’s own brother, Councillor Doug Ford, several of the mayor’s council allies and even the Toronto Police have been pushing for Ford to hire a driver to chauffeur him around the city.
Those calls were renewed last week when a photo was posted to Twitter of Ford reading his notes while driving his Cadillac Escalade on the Gardiner Expressway.
But asked about the issue during a press conference Tuesday, Ford permanently parked the idea.
“No, I don’t believe in wasting taxpayers’ money,” he told reporters at City Hall. “I don’t believe in going out and hiring someone — the average cost around here (for a driver) is $50,000 to $60,000 — on driving me around.
“A million people a day go to work in this city and they drive, they drive themselves. I don’t see why I’m any different.”
Ford pointed out his own staff drive him to some events already.
“Right now, I’m not planning to go out and spend $50,000 to $60,000 to hire someone to drive me around,” Ford stressed. “They offered me a car when I first got elected and a driver and that was well over $100,000 combined.
“I think that’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Asked about his brother’s adamant refusal to get a driver, Councillor Ford shrugged.
“I didn’t win,” Ford told QMI Agency. “You see who the real boss is, finally.”
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