‘NO-BRAINER’ HAILED
Uber and Lyft move closer to reality in B.C. after unanimous recommendation of an all-party committee of the legislature
Josée Menard likes riding the HandyDart and is grateful that Vancouver cab companies have accessible vehicles in their fleets.
But after ride-hailing services gained unanimous support from an all-party committee in the B.C. legislature on Thursday, Menard, who has progressive multiple sclerosis and uses a motorized wheelchair, said she hopes transportation network firms like Uber and Lyft make inroads to the province as soon as possible.
The 57-year-old Vancouver resident said she has concerns about safety and accessibility, but would welcome a transportation option for those frequent times when a wheelchair-accessible taxi or HandyDart isn’t available.
“It fills up a big supply-and-demand (issue), so I think as long as everybody makes it safe, it just becomes another taxi company, basically,” she said.
The all-party committee made 32 recommendations that push forward the implementation and legislation of ride-sharing services. Six of them relate to accessibility, including a requirement that firms with fleets “over a reasonable size” make sure that wait times or service guarantees for accessible services are equal to those of non-accessible trips. The committee also recommended ride-hailing companies give trip bonuses to drivers of wheelchair-accessible vehicles and that a ban be imposed on charging higher fees for customers who need accessible vehicles.
Menard said she is pleased people with accessibility concerns are being considered. A recommendation that ride-hailing firms make inclusion training accessible to drivers transporting people with disabilities is crucial, too, she said.
She said “97 per cent” of taxi drivers won’t automatically connect a seatbelt to her wheelchair, which takes extra time but protects her from bumpy rides across town. She’ll also need to bring her service dog in-training Toby and wonders how many drivers will allow her to do that.
Menard said she wants the government to continue proceeding with caution toward the implementation of ride-sharing, but hopes it arrives in B.C. sooner rather than later.
“They really need to get going on it because a lot of people like me are stuck,” she said.
Committee chairwoman Bowinn Ma of the NDP said the recommendations balance the importance of developing regulations that encompass fairness, consumer protection and worker rights in a constantly changing economy. She steered away from commenting about the timing of bringing in ride-hailing services, saying that was a question for Transportation Minister Claire Trevena.
“What I will say is that the ride-hailing … report is not the be-all, end-all of a regulatory regime for B.C.,” Ma said.
Trevena said she is reviewing the report and wasn’t prepared to comment Thursday. She has said the NDP government will introduce ride-hailing legislation this fall.
The report highlights five key areas that need to be considered when establishing regulations for the industry, including pricing, insurance, licensing and public safety. The government should also consider the impact the introduction of ride-hailing companies will have on B.C. communities, it says.
Outside Broadway-City Hall Station in Vancouver, Andrew Hrechka, 28, an ironworker from the city, said safety concerns have him doubtful he’d ever use a ride-hailing service.
“Just because it’s not a taxi, I don’t know the person, I don’t trust them,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re qualified to be doing what they’re doing — it could be anybody off the street.”
But Vancouver actress Vivian Davidson, 31, said she has used ride-hailing in Los Angeles, Berlin and Mexico City, and it was reliable and safe. She would welcome such services in Vancouver for when she’s rushing off to auditions or working late, provided there are safety checks on cars and drivers. She’d also like to see an incentive for drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles.
“It’s a no-brainer for big cities,” Davidson said. “We’re a really good city for transportation, but we don’t have enough, yet, to keep up with the demand.”neagland@postmedia.com