Don’t blame ICBC for delays in getting ride-hailing rolling
Some people are upset that access to Uber and other ride-hailing services won’t arrive for another nine to 12 months after the provincial government’s recent announcement on opening up the taxi market. Before everyone starts foaming at the mouth and putting targets on ICBC’s back for any delay, remember the following: Both the B.C. Liberals and the NDP have been kicking this issue down the road for the past three years and have only now finally come up with rules to proceed.
ICBC can only develop a product once it knows the parameters that will apply. There may well be insurance companies in other provinces that insure Uber, but not all insurance companies do because it is not viewed by all as a desirable class of business. So saying, ‘Just copy other provinces’, isn’t a solution.
ICBC has government-mandated basic insurance, so they have to develop their own model, which takes time and actuary review. They need the time to price it right as they are in a tight financial situation, and the last thing they need is to sell a product that loses them even more money. So caution will be the word of the day.
In the meantime, if we want to complain about anything, maybe instead we should look at the lack of late-night service provided by TransLink.
Andrew Tablotney, LeGear Pelling Insurance Agencies, Richmond