Ride-hailing coming to BC by Christmas if the Liberals are re-elected

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s a move a lot of people in British Columbia have been waiting for — the BC government will soon allow ride-hailing services in the province. Transportation Minister Todd Stone says services like Uber and Lyft will be available by this Christmas.

Stone says they’ve been consulting with stakeholders for months, including with operators of the local taxi industry and he adds the goal is to allow for convenience, competition and accessibility. He says they also heard from regular people across the province.

 

“What we’ve heard that any changes that we introduce in British Columbia will need to address the public’s desire for more choice. It’s clear that any changes that we introduce on this front must also protect passenger and driver safety. And it must balance the interest of all stakeholders recognizing the investments and the jobs that have been created by the many people that are currently providing passenger transportation services in our province, not least of which, is the taxi industry itself,” says Stone.

The province says to ensure there is a level playing field, it is investing $1 million “to help the taxi industry develop an app with the capability of shared dispatch to allow the taxi sector province-wide to better compete with new entrants to the market, and allow the public to hail and pay for a taxi with a smartphone in the same way that they would for a ride-sharing service.”

The government says ICBC will also be investing up to $3.5 million in the taxi sector to help the insurance agency streamline the claims process. “And it’s committed to working with the industry to improve their insurance to make it more flexible and cost effective, which could save taxi drivers significantly. Depending on the number of kilometres they drive, these savings could be in the range of 25 per cent,” says the provincial government in a statement.

BC has been a bit behind the times, you may say, when it comes to ride-hailing with virtually all major cities around the world allowing the service.

This plan to allow ride-hailing in the province hinges on whether the BC Liberals win the upcoming provincial election which is slated for May 9th.

Vancouver taxi industry to fight announcement

The Vancouver Taxi Association is livid with the province’s announcement and is promising to fight it any way it can.

The group’s Carolyn Bauer says countless taxi drivers have gone into what she describes as enormous debt by purchasing an operating licence and they will have no way to pay it back under the new framework.

“We are not opposed to changes to meet the public’s interest but… the government has completely ignored our interests and we will use every available legal and political means available to us to fight this unfair government initiative.”

More than 80 per cent of delegates at the BC Liberal convention last fall supported the creation of ride-sharing legislation.

However, the City of Vancouver has placed a moratorium on new cabs and Uber until this October, with some councillors voicing concerns about passenger safety and protecting the local taxi industry.

Opposition leader accuses BC Liberals of creating “chaos”

NDP Leader John Horgan says while elements of the government’s ride-hailing announcement make sense, the timing of it is destined to create chaos and confrontation.

“This is purely designed to create conflict, designed to advance Christy Clark’s interests, not the travelling public’s,” he says.

Horgan adds the Clark government could have addressed the shortage of cabs years ago, but they instead chose to announce drastic changes to the rules two months before a provincial election.

Some of Horgan’s concerns are echoed by Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs, who says it appears as though the government has lowered safety and accessablity standards in order to appease large corporations.

He says removing municipal boundaries could lead to outlying areas getting much less service than they enjoyed before.

“Ride-sharing vehicles will go where the business is, say the Granville Entertainment District, and you’ll never get a car in the outlying areas. Uber won’t even offer its services in towns under 30,000.” Meggs also wonders if “surge pricing” will mean it costs more to catch a car on a rainy day than on a clear day.

Boards of Trade welcome ride-hailing to BC

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is happy with the move.

“Today’s announcement is a meaningful step forward for the future of mobility in our region,” says President and CEO Iain Black. “Businesses, residents, and visitors across the Lower Mainland have made it clear that they want more choice and more innovation in their transportation options. We’re encouraged to see this issue moving forward with immediate, meaningful steps.”

He adds his board has been advocating for this ride-hailing in BC for two years.

Meantime, the Surrey Board of Trade says it’s glad the province is taking steps to move forward with its plan.

Ride-hailing has support of Vancouver International Airport

In a brief statement, Scott Norris with the Vancouver Airport Authority says YVR “supports any efforts to modernize and improve” the province’s transportation system.

He says ride-hailing “can offer an important customer service and additional choice to our passengers,” but only if it’s enacted in a way that “creates a level playing field” between existing taxis and incoming services.

Norris adds they will work with all parties to “create the right solution” that ensures accessibility, while maintaining safety and security.