Services like Uber seem to be more about avoiding regulations than anything else, says Coun. Bruce McDonald.
The veteran civic politician didn’t mince words at a recent Delta council meeting about the prospects of ride-hailing services coming to the Lower Mainland, saying the taxi industry abides by stringent rules.
“It’s all an attempt to get around reasonable regulations. They don’t have to guarantee safety backgrounds, those kinds of things, and I find it troubling that there are people who don’t have to meet the same requirements and want to do it on the side,” said McDonald.
In October, provincial Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said the new NDP government would study safety and regulatory issues regarding ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. The minister said that report would be completed next year, but ride-sharing/hailing services wouldn’t be operating any sooner than fall 2018.
The government also assured it would work with the taxi industry to provide a fair approach to ride services.
The consultation with stakeholders also includes input from local governments. A report to council notes staff have yet to formulate a position but would be attending a workshop to gather more information. Council was told that in addition to safety issues, there’s a lot of complexity that needs sorting out, such as ICBC coverage.
Also critical of home rental service Airbnb, McDonald noted safety should be first and foremost before Delta agrees to allow such services to operate.
Mayor Lois Jackson agreed, adding many taxi drivers and their families who would be impacted reside in Delta.
Meanwhile, council agreed to give Greencab a letter of support for it to obtain an additional 14 carrier plates. The taxi company has applied to the province to add seven cabs (six sedans and one accessible van) to its Delta Sunshine fleet and seven cabs (five sedans and two accessible vans) to its Tsawwassen Taxi Ltd. fleet. If approved, it would give the company a total of 96 licences for cabs that could operate in Delta.
The company notes residential and major retail development in Delta has contributed to the increased demand for service.
