The City of Edmonton was the first jurisdiction to adopt rules that embrace ride-sharing, and now the Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) is lobbying the BC Government to follow Edmonton’s example, encouraging the province’s government to introduce ride-sharing legislation.
The SBOT seeks support for Ride-Sharing Legislation through the BC Chamber of Commerce, to:
1. Bring forward ride-sharing regulations that establish province-wide rules for safety and consumer protection.
2. Evaluate and remove unnecessary red tape on existing transportation providers.
“There will be an economic impact upon the taxi industry and we encourage the BC Government to take steps to mitigate this impact by reviewing the current regulatory regime on the taxi industry and other transportation providers,” stated Huberman.
Considering that ride-sharing is currently available in hundreds of cities across the globe and provides a convenient transportation option for those who want get from point A to point B and a flexible income opportunity for those wanting to drive, regulation is needed to assure the safety of the customer.
Actually, the ride-sharing economy is growing and represents new opportunities for individuals and businesses to utilize their assets thanks to technology. In numbers, PWC estimates that three years ago, the ride-sharing economy generated $15 billion in annual revenue vs. $240 billion in the rental sector. By 2025, both sectors are predicted to generate $335 billion.
As a result, from SBOT’s perspective, ride-sharing services such as Uber, Lyft, and others don’t compete with taxis; instead, they appear to be growing the overall transportation market. As a result, the SBOT is lobbying for a province-wide safety standard for ride-sharing.
