Vancouver Guide to Ride Hailing in B.C.
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 21:58:17 +0000
At long last, ride hailing is set to debut in B.C.
Here’s a guide to the different companies that hope to operate in B.C. and what you should know.
We’ll keep updating this guide as the companies are approved and we learn more about how they’ll operate in Vancouver.
Ride hailing allows you to hire a driver and vehicle using a smartphone app to get from point A to B.
The apps typically use your phone’s GPS to automatically determine your pick-up location, while the destination is manually input. This gives a fare estimate and you can decide whether or not to request a ride. Once your ride request is confirmed by a nearby driver, you’ll be able to track the driver’s proximity through the app.
Payment and tipping is typically via credit card saved in your app, but many opt to tip in cash as well. Most of the apps also allow riders to rate their drivers and vice versa.
• Many ride hailing apps will charge a cancellation fee if you confirm a ride but either cancel at the last minute or don’t show up.
• If you know in advance you’ll be needing a ride, you can often pre-schedule a ride.
• Carpooling is also an option in many ride-hailing apps, where you share a vehicle with other passengers headed in the same direction.
• Some services offer different types of vehicles to choose from, ranging from standard sedans up to luxury vehicles and SUVs.
• Sharing a ride with friends? Some apps permit a fare to be split by sending fare share notices to a friend’s app.
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.
Download:Apple Store | Google Play
Status: The company has announced its plans to operate in B.C. and has submitted an application to the Passenger Transportation Board to operate in the Lower Mainland and Whistler areas.
What else should I know? Uber is available in hundreds of cities internationally so you may already be familiar with the app, or may even already have it downloaded to your phone. Uber offers a variety of vehicles, with UberX being the most affordable, standard sedan option all the way up to Select which includes more stylish rides.
Download:Apple Store | Google Play
Status: The company has announced its plans to operate in B.C. and has submitted an application to the Passenger Transportation Board to operate in the Lower Mainland and Whistler areas.
What else should I know? Earlier this month, Lyft announced a slew of new safety initiatives, including a smart trip check-in function that will message both the driver and rider if there are unexplained delays during a ride, requiring each party to actively respond. Riders will also be able to call 911 from directly within the app if needed.
Download:Apple Store | Google Play
Status: Kater has been operating throughout Vancouver since March of this year and has plans to expand.
What else should I know? Kater has been able to get a jump on companies like Uber and Lyft, as it operates using taxi licenses that were issued to the Vancouver Taxi Association. In exchange for the licenses, Kater pays the VTA a portion of its profits. Also available is Kateroke, a vehicle equipped with karaoke equipment, allowing passengers to sing to their heart’s content while travelling to their destination.
Download:Apple Store | Google Play
Status: The company has submitted an application to the Passenger Transportation Board to operate across Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, the Kootenays and Cariboo regions.
What else should I know? TappCar is a ride-hailing company created here in Canada and based out of Edmonton. The company was created as an alternative to cabs and ride-hailing giants like Uber or Lyft, and commits to treating their drivers well. TappCar says it offers training programs and pays drivers 100 per cent of tips received each ride.
Do you know of a ride-hailing company missing from our guide that has submitted an application to the PTB? What else would you like to know about ride hailing options in B.C.? Let us know at vantips@postmedia.com.
More to come.