New car service trying to break into the Vancouver market, distancing itself from Uber
Posted January 26, 2015 7:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – As you look for ways around Vancouver’s traffic congestion, a local company is trying to help fill what it says is a huge void when it comes to transportation.
But Ripe Rides is also trying to assure the public the company is very different from ride-sharing service Uber, which is also trying to break into the Vancouver market.
“It’s a digital dispatch and cashless system; everything is on your phone. This isn’t a taxi. It’s a point-to-point luxury sedan service,” says Otis Perrick with the company.
And while Uber continues to clash with the city’s cab companies, he says Ripe Rides is taking a different approach with its 20 limo licenses. Perrick believes the safety concerns that can come along with Uber are one of the things that set the two companies apart.
The biggest difference?
“We’re properly regulated,” says Perrick. “The vehicles will be properly inspected and insured. The drivers will be vetted not just to the standards that are required by the government but by the Vancouver Police.”
“They’ll have the proper chauffeur’s license. People in Vancouver are a lot smarter than that. People are looking for options but I think at the same time, they want to know that there’s some safety and [proper regulation]. Not knowing if a car is insured or if a driver is vetted, you’re going to have the same kind of problem. We follow the rules and I think it’s the better way for us to go.”
Perrick says there’s a definite need for more rides.
“Vancouver is a technological hub and people are looking for new products and other modes of transportation other than what’s offered right now. The positive is that we’ll be able to prove public need immediately, whether we get all the licenses or not. We will have true facts and data points that we’ll be able to share with the public transportation board and make public that information. We’re not here to hide it; we’re here to show ‘here is where the need is.'”
They’re hoping to soft launch the company next month.
