All-party committee to tackle ride-hailing

The controversial question of allowing ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to operate in B.C. will be researched by a group of MLAs from the NDP, Greens and Liberals.

Green leader Andrew Weaver said Thursday his private member’s bill to allow ride-hailing will be referred to the all-party legislative committee on Crown corporations, which will hold hearings, gather testimony and write a report by Feb. 15.

Weaver said the goal is to come up with a detailed list of what needs to be in the legislation.

Ride-hailing has proved a politically sensitive issue.

The former Liberal government proposed regulations to reform the existing taxi industry, while allowing companies like Uber into B.C., only to be punished by a backlash from taxi drivers in Lower Mainland ridings in the May election.

The NDP had promised to protect the traditional taxi industry, while allowing riding-hailing by the end of 2017. However, after forming government, Transportation Minister Claire Trevena abandoned that deadline and announced a review of the existing taxi industry that excluded opinions from ride-hailing companies.

Weaver said the legislative committee’s research on ride-hailing will complement Trevena’s incomplete report on taxis. It’s expected to include testimony from ridehailing companies and presentations from the public and others with an interest in the subject.

“We’re saying, OK, you excluded ride-hailing from that process, in fact it’s not even in the terms of reference, we’ll set up a process that a process that will develop separate regulatory advice and legislative advice to do separate legislation,” said Weaver.