Illegal Ride-Sharing App in Richmond Reportedly Won’t Take Non-Chinese Fares

On Monday, the provincial government discussed the future of ride-sharing apps in British Columbia.

British Columbia already has a total of seven illegal ride-sharing services operating all over the province. According to the BC Taxi Association, five of these ride-sharing apps are operating in Richmond alone.

GoKabu is one of the ride-sharing companies that is operating in Richmond. Global News attempted to catch a ride with this ride-sharing service, however, the driver refused to take the fare when he showed up.

Eventually, Global News got a ride with a driver in an Audi A4. Global National Mandarin reporter Frank Qi went along for the ride, explaining:

“The driver said the company running the app asked them not to take any Westerners, or, say, non-Chinese riders.”

In a statement, City Spokesman Ted Townsend said that these companies would never receive a business licence operating in this fashion. The BC Taxi Association said that all these illegal ride-sharing services are making it really difficult for taxi drivers.

If these illegal services are spotted, operators are receiving a fine of $1,150. However, this does not seem to be enough to stop the drivers from doing business.

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