Waymo is reportedly planning a significant step toward bringing its driverless taxis to Toronto’s streets. But it’s unclear if the California-based tech company will be welcome north of the border, with the mayor and premier harbouring concerns about the autonomous driving technology’s impact on local jobs. According to a spokesperson for Mayor Olivia Chow, Waymo has told her office it plans to apply to the Ontario government’s automated vehicle pilot program. That would enable the company to test its vehicles in the province and serve as a potential precursor to launching commercial robo taxi operations in its largest city. Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet and bills itself as the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service, wouldn’t confirm its Ontario plans Friday. Waymo spokesperson Chris Pappas acknowledged, however, that the company has “global ambitions,” and said it has met with officials in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada to “to explain our technology and advocate for the legal frameworks necessary to bring our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the country.” Waymo plans to join pilot Chow’s press secretary Braman Thillainathan told the Star the company revealed its plans to join the Ontario pilot during a recent lobbying push at city hall. Waymo representatives and hired lobbyists with the StrategyCorp firm have been speaking with city officials since December, including managers in transportation services and mayoral staffers, public records show. Thillainathan said the company made no specific request of Chow, and he stressed that the province, not the city, is in charge of regulating driverless cars. But he said that the mayor won’t back the company if its operations hurt Toronto’s taxi and ride-hail drivers. “Any move toward autonomous vehicles must not put people out of work or undermine workers’ livelihoods. The mayor will not support Waymo if it costs