City preps for ride-sharing, more flexible taxi rules

Provincial rules that would make app-based ride-sharing services like Uber viable in Saskatchewan are also expected to loosen the criteria for taxi and limousine licences, a City of Saskatoon report says.

The report, to be considered by city council’s transportation committee on Tuesday, comes as SGI unveiled new legislation that makes the operation of ride-sharing services viable.

The province on Thursday introduced the Vehicles for Hire Act, which sets up the framework for ride-sharing services.

Among the items in the legislation: the services will provide a vehicle and driver through a digital platform or app; the company must file written evidence of an appropriate insurance policy with a minimum limit of $1 million; every vehicle used must be insured under the Automobile Accident Insurance Act; municipalities will still be able to make bylaws that also govern ride-sharing companies; criminal record checks for all drivers are mandatory; a prescribed driver’s licence class will apply to all ride-sharing drivers.

People who want to drive for a ride-sharing service like Lyft or Uber would need to obtain a Class 4 licence like taxi and limousine drivers, but the rules for getting those licences would be reduced, the city report says.

City hall is prepared to move quickly to allow ride-sharing, while loosening the rules for taxis and trying to make them more affordable.

“A level playing field means respecting the distinct natures of both the (transportation network company or TNC) and taxi business models while ensuring public safety is a top priority. A level playing field does not mean regulating, insuring and operationally addressing TNCs and taxis in an identical fashion,” the report states.

“The fight against impaired driving is a priority for our government and Saskatchewan people have told us this will provide another option for them to get home safely,” Joe Hargrave, minister responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance, said in a statement, adding that the legislation “provides a framework for licensing and insurance, sets out appropriate safeguards for the public, and gives municipalities the authority to determine the right public transportation mix for their communities.”

The city report seeks committee and then council approval to draft an overarching “vehicle for hire”

bylaw that would apply to taxis, limousines and ride-sharing services. The city administration also wants the go-ahead to move more quickly on a bylaw that would apply to ride-sharing services before the wider bylaw is complete.

Although the province will provide the framework to allow ridesharing services, municipal governments would be responsible for developing the rules.

City hall is also trying to grant some of the wishes of the taxi industry so it can provide improved service in a more competitive transportation environment.

The report seeks approval for changes to the bylaw governing taxi operations that would allow for part-time licences in order to get more vehicles on the road and meet peak demand.

A review of the taxi meter fare structure and a change to the taxi bylaw to allow seasonal plates to be replaced with full-time plates are also being sought.

The city launched an online survey in November that got 7,258 responses

from Saskatoon residents, the report says. Fifty-five per cent of those who said they rarely or never use taxis cited high fares as the reason, while another 16 per cent cited wait times, the report says.

Should council approve the operation of ride-sharing services, a review is recommended of all taxi bylaw regulations to support “a level playing field,” the report adds.

The provincial government voiced support for ride-sharing services in its October throne speech as a way to help combat Saskatchewan’s high rate of impaired driving.