RIDESHARING & TAXI INDUSTRY NEWS:

Surrey Board of Trade Pleased with Lyft and Uber Approvals to Operate in the Lower Mainland and Whistler, Congratulates Mayors’ Council on Moving Forward with a Regional Ridehailing Business License and Calls for Level-playing Field for Taxi Industry

On January 23, the Passenger Transportation Board approved the Uber and Lyft applications to operate in the Lower Mainland and Whistler.

“The Surrey Board of Trade is pleased with the approval of the Lyft and Uber applications to operate in the Lower Mainland,” said Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade and member of the Ridesharing Coalition. “We have been an ongoing advocate of ridesharing. With the decision to move to a regional business license system for this industry, we can’t wait until ridesharing is actually in operation.”

“However, the red tape for drivers with the Class 4 license presents an ongoing issue. We will continue advocating for this industry, as well as for the taxi industry, for a level playing field – and for the taxi industry to go across municipal boundaries.” “Surrey needs ridesharing. Surrey needs more transit and transportation options. We hope all local government decision makers see the need for this in Surrey.”

Further, the Metro Vancouver’s Mayors Council voted to fasttrack a regional ridehailing business license program. Until now, it has been speculated that each municipality would be in charge of providing business licenses, which would lead to more red tape and bureaucracy for the ridehailing industry.

The Surrey Board of Trade called for the Metro Vancouver Mayors’

Council to implement a single ridehailing industry licence – an intermunicipal business license model.

The Surrey Board of Trade will continue to advocate for a level playing field for the taxi industry.