Ride hailing in Vancouver gets off to a contentious start with detours to courts
Vancouver: The George. “This is a free for Uber and Lyft
KEEPJOURNAL long-awaited arrival of market economy, people that he will not support Uber and Lyft in Metro understand that.” ride-hailing in Surrey Vancouver is facing legal He said the independent until he is convinced a challenges less than Passenger Transportation fair playing field can be a week after they began Board balanced the established. operating as Surrey’s interests of the public “What continues to be mayor also vows to and existing taxi industry my chief concern is the the companies’ drivers before granting licence unfair advantage that off the city’s streets. approvals last week has been created without Premier John Horgan accused to Uber and Lyft. any regard as to how Mayor Doug Mccallum “The way forward for it will impact those who on Wednesday of Surrey and for Mr. Mccallum are employed in the taxi putting up unnecessary is to listen to the industry,” Mccallum roadblocks in Surrey as citizens in his community said. ride-hailing in Metro who want to see competition, Michael van Hemmen, Vancouver gets off to a not to destabilize Uber’s spokesman for contentious start. and put people out of Western Canada, said Horgan, who faced intense business but to provide a the company filed an pressure last year to range of options for the injunction application speed up the ride-hailing travelling public,” said in British Columbia Supreme approval process, said Horgan. Court to prevent competition brings challenges Mccallum said in a Surrey from issuing fines but the government statement following the to its drivers in the city. developed a regulatory board’s approval of licences Continued on page 7 framework to ensure a level playing field for taxi firms and companies like Uber and Lyft. “When new competition comes in you want to make sure you’re protecting the existing industry, but not protecting it from competition,” the premier said at a news conference in Prince