Despite not operating in B.C., Uber Canada is set to hold a driver partner info session in Victoria next week.
Susie Heath, Uber Canada spokesperson, said in a statement “We hold these info sessions in communities across Canada so people can learn about the benefits of the Uber platform and so we may assess local driver interest.”
The session will take place on April 12 from 6pm-9pm at the Hotel Grand Pacific on Belleville Street.
Mohan Kang, president of the Victoria-based B.C. Taxi Association, says he’s not surprised Uber is trying to make its presence felt here, saying “That’s what they normally do … I think they’re just trying to put out on pressure tactics which a responsible corporate entity won’t do, but they’re not a responsible corporate entity.”
Kang says he worries about public safety, adding “What they’re doing is anybody who is Class 5 [driver’s licence], 21 years old, has a car which is 10 years old or newer, four-door and who has regular insurance is an Uber driver.”
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps says if the province agrees Uber is okay to go in the province, she supports it, noting “He’s meeting the taxi industry and meeting with the boards of trade to make sure that there is a made-in-B.C. solution that as much as possible protects the current industry and allows new opportunities to emerge as well.”
Back in January, Uber Canada suggested it would launch in the provincial capital. As for B.C., Uber says it’s the largest jurisdiction in North American that lacks ridesharing, and over 100,000 people have downloaded their app.
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[via Times Colonist]
