Regional ride-hailing business licence framework expected Friday
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 22:22:30 +0000
Details are expected to be released in the coming days about a regional business licence that would allow ride-hailing companies to operate throughout participating Metro Vancouver municipalities, even as the City of Surrey is locked in a legal battle over business licensing with Uber.
The interim inter-municipal licence is being developed by a committee made up of staff from TransLink and from the region’s local governments, and was discussed behind closed doors on Thursday by members of the Mayors’ Council.
Key details include the licence fee, data requirements, and administration and enforcement provisions. The expectation is that a full regional licence framework will be developed by the end of this year.
“I’m fairly confident that there will be a regional framework that will be put out (Friday) or early next week,” said Mayors’ Council chair Jonathan Coté, who is the mayor of New Westminster. “Ultimately, it will be up to every individual council whether they want to join or not.”
An inter-municipal licence would allow ride-hailing companies to operate freely in all municipalities with no restrictions, picking up and dropping off as needed. The licence will work as the sole licence required for all participating municipalities, rather than an add-on to a municipal licence.
Local governments will be asked to ensure that if they already have business licence rules in place for ride-hailing, theirs are consistent with the regional framework.
Councils will consider whether to join the interim regional licence, which is voluntary, during February and March, and the idea is to have it in place by late March or early April.
“So far, we’ve been very encouraged that all the city staff from all the cities have worked really collaboratively together to build consensus on this, and from everything I’m hearing I am expecting the vast majority, if not all, of the municipalities to actually join in and support this,” Coté said.
Coté said the licence will be viable even if some municipalities opt out, but they will continue to work with those who decide not to join with the goal of convincing them of the merits in the future.
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said he would wait to hear more information before making any decisions about whether his city would participate in the licensing scheme. In December, he was the only mayor to vote against proceeding with development of the interim licence.
Asked if the provincial government would step in if the licence was not unanimously adopted, Coté said, “I think the province has definitely strongly indicated that they would like the cities to work together and have a regional approach to this issue, but still from our perspective it is an individual decision of each of the cities to make.”
Until the regional licence is in place, there is a patchwork of regulations for operating in Metro Vancouver municipalities, and ride-hailing companies are expected to apply for business licences in each municipality, where applicable.
Vancouver, Delta, Richmond, Burnaby and the Tri-Cities have developed their own business licences specific to ride-hailing, while others have no such licence. Most are not requiring that Uber and Lyft get a business licence, while Surrey has no ride-hailing licence but is demanding that the company apply for a business licence, and is fining both Uber and its drivers.
McCallum told reporters on Thursday that he would not be answering any questions about the bylaw action because of an ongoing court action.
Uber has filed documents in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver asking for an injunction to stop the city from issuing fines, and the case is scheduled to be heard on Feb. 5.
Mayors’ Council chair Jonathan Coté speaks following a meeting at TransLink head offices in New Westminster.