Uber confirms plans to begin ride-hailing service in Metro Vancouver
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 15:11:25 +0000
Uber has announced it plans to begin offering its ride-hailing service in Vancouver.
In a statement shared Wednesday morning, the company said it hoped to apply to the Passenger Transportation Board for approval to operate in Metro Vancouver when the application period opens on Sept. 3.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to provide ride-sharing services in Metro Vancouver,” said Michael van Hemmen, head of Uber’s western Canada division.
“For years, British Columbians have been clear that they want access to the same safe, affordable, reliable service they’ve used all over the world. We’re optimistic that Uber will be here for the busy holiday season.”
It’s expected the application will take about six to eight weeks to process and would allow Uber to begin operating in late 2019.
An Uber car drives through LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Uber’s application will be for Region 1, which covers Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Squamish and Lillooet. The specific communities in which Uber will offer their services will be finalized closer to its yet-to-be-decided launch date, based on how many and where drivers are recruited.
The company follows a similar announcement from Lyft earlier this month, as B.C. finalizes its guidelines for ride-hailing companies.
Ride-hailing companies can apply to the province beginning Sept. 3 to operate in B.C. The applications will be reviewed by the PTB for approval, and the soonest ride-hailing vehicles could be on the road is Sept. 16.
Among the regulations being imposed on ride-hailing companies are a Class 4 commercial driver’s licence requirement and specific insurance coverage.
However, there will not be restrictions on fleet size or surge pricing, though the minimum charge for each ride will be the same as the taxi flag rate, which is $3.25 to $3.95.
The Uber app is displayed on an iPhone as taxi drivers wait for passengers at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Tuesday, March 7, 2017.
While there are politicians on both sides of the issue, the latest to chime in is Surrey Coun. Linda Annis.
The councillor shared a statement Wednesday in response to Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum’s criticism of ride hailing.
“We are one of the last places on the planet to get Uber and Lyft, yet thousands of people in Surrey already have ride hailing apps on their phones because they use them when they are outside of B.C. in other parts of Canada, the U.S.A., or around the world,” said Annis.
But Annis also pushed for a revamp of geographic pick-up restrictions that currently apply to taxis, calling it “antiquated.”
“Frankly, the best thing governments can do in this industry is get out of the way, rather than regulating things well past the point of common sense. Just ask anyone who’s been stranded waiting for a taxi or who has been refused a cab late at night.”
More to come.