This may be where the rubber hits the road in the B.C. Legislature – both figuratively and literally.
On Monday, Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Greens, said he will reintroduce legislation to enable ridesharing in B.C. Weaver has tried this before, once in April 2016 and again in February 2017.
He surely knows he might be a bit too Uber enthusiastic for his NDP partners so early in their relationship.
Prior to the election the B.C. Liberals promised to bring ‘ride sharing’ to the province. In an effort to pull in as many ‘millennial’ votes as possible, the Liberals promised folks they would be able to use Uber by Christmas. They tried to appease the taxi industry by offering cash support and relaxing some cab rules. Then transportation minister Todd Stone tried to soften the blow by saying: “We think we are striking a balance between what the vast majority of British Columbians want … all the while doing so in a very thoughtful manner where we take our time, respect the industry that’s been there for so many generations and get this right to protect the jobs that already exist.” But the taxi industry, which is a tight-knit one, didn’t buy it and did a last-minute don’t-vote-Liberals phone/text/email campaign. It’s hard to say whether they tipped the scales enough to lose it for the Liberals – but it sure didn’t help.
And now Weaver wants to put the pedal to the metal for something the NDP support, but don’t wildly boost. And for good reason. Not only does it revive the taxi workers’ grievances, but it also throws a spotlight on the NDP’s labour commitments and core values.
The reality is Uber has cleverly branded itself as a ‘ride-sharing’ movement, when it is at best a ride-hailing company. Uber customers don’t share a ride, they use the app to order one, and the driver is usually someone trying to eke out a living by mimicking a taxi-service.
Meanwhile taxi drivers who are trying to make a living are left to compete with folks who are often supplementing an income and, for the most part, avoiding licencing and insurance requirements.
To be sure, Uber will eventually enter the marketplace in B.C. and the NDP is savvy enough to understand that fact and try to protect taxi driver jobs in the process. But Weaver’s gung-ho support of Uber and other ride-hailing enterprises may just be a bit too keen for the NDP right now.
