Delta joins cities licensing ride-hailing
Delta is the latest Metro Vancouver city to establish its own business-licensing process for ride-hailing companies as local governments prepare for the first drivers to hit the road.
“We have established a simple and reasonable business licensing system for ride-hailing to ensure that we are treating ride-hailing companies and taxis fairly while allowing our residents to access improved transportation services,” Delta Mayor George Harvie said in a statement.
In the absence of a regional plan, a patchwork of different licensing processes is developing across Metro Vancouver.
While ride-hailing companies that want to operate in Delta will be required to pay an annual business licence fee plus $25 per car, those that want to operate in Burnaby will need to pay $510 per car. Richmond plans to charge each vehicle $132, while Vancouver will charge $100.
Late last month, the Tri Cities announced a regional fee that covers Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. Rather than charging per car, the licence will add a 10-cent fee per ride.
Meanwhile, Surrey is refusing to issue any business licences to for ride-hailing companies.
The Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation will consider initiating a process to develop a regional inter-municipal business licence for ride-hailing in the region at its meeting on Thursday.
“The Mayors’ Council has been generally supportive of the idea of an Inter-Municipal Business Licence (IMBL) as a good option to ensure a coordinated approach within Metro Vancouver,” said a staff report on the issue in Thursday’s agenda package.
The report noted the process of establishing an IMBL will take several months.
In the long-term, a regional entity tasked with continuing management of an IMBL could be structured as a “contracted service provider” on behalf of interested municipalities.