B.C. Taxi Association members to take legal action over ride-hailing rules
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2019 00:47:10 +0000
More taxi companies could soon join a court petition that aims to overturn rules established by the Passenger Transportation Board for ride-hailing companies hoping to do business in B.C.
On Friday the B.C. Taxi Association, which represents taxi companies in the province that operate outside of the city of Vancouver, held a meeting in Surrey for taxi company managers.
According to association president Mohan Kang, about 30 people attended, the vast majority of whom were from Metro Vancouver. They talked about the impact that ride-hailing companies could have on their businesses, and the work the association has been doing with the Vancouver Taxi Association (VTA), which represents companies operating within Vancouver, on ride-hailing concerns.
The meeting lasted about two-and-a-half hours, and Kang said the group came to a consensus that they want to be part of a petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday.
In the petition, nine companies that are members of the VTA allege the Passenger Transportation Board did not have the authority to set operational policies on fleet sizes, pricing and boundaries for ride-hailing companies. In particular, they take issue with the lack of a cap on the number of ride-hailing vehicles and the ability for ride-hailing companies to set lower rates, saying that puts them at a competitive disadvantage.
The court filing called the policies unfair, unreasonable and arbitrary, and is asking a judge to quash the board’s decision so the board can conduct “a proper inquiry into whether the business model of Uber and Lyft is consistent with the statutory criteria” the board must consider when deciding whether to grant a passenger transportation licence.
Mohan Kang, president of the B.C. Taxi Association.
Kang said he expects the most, if not all, of the companies in Metro Vancouver to join the VTA’s petition because the major ride-hailing players, Uber and Lyft, have said they will apply to operate in that area and the taxi companies in the region will be hardest hit.
“It is the decision of the management of the companies to go for this type of legal action,” Kang said. “The association cannot direct the companies that they must join, but out of courtesy and out of custom, most of the time they respect the recommendations given to them by the B.C. Taxi Association board of directors.”
The next step is for the B.C. Taxi Association to consult with its lawyer. Kang said he expects court action to be taken sometime in the next week.
“I would be talking to our lawyer about the nuts and bolts,” Kang said.
The Passenger Transportation Board has 21 days to respond to the initial filing. In the meantime, the petitioners may seek an injunction to prevent the board from approving ride-hailing licences before the petition is heard.
The Passenger Transportation Branch began accepting applications from ride-hailing companies on Sept. 3, and the board is proceeding with its work at this time. It is expected decisions on the applications will be made within six to eight weeks of receipt.
VTA spokesperson Carolyn Bauer did not respond to an interview request.
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