BC Green Party Leader Proposes to Legalize Uber, Lyft in the Fall

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has written an op-ed in the Vancouver Sun, detailing why he plans to reintroduce ride-sharing legislation in the province this fall.

Weaver says the “Government cannot stick its head in the sand and hope the effects of these technological shifts sort themselves out,” but instead proposes a “proactive, responsive approach that considers the wide ranging impacts of these changes, and a government that crafts innovative policies that will ensure British Columbia stays on the cutting edge of technological adoption.”

So this October, Weaver will re-introduce a ride-sharing bill in the legislature he first put to the floor in 2016.

The Green Party leader notes Vancouver is the largest city in North American without riding sharing, after Uber’s attempts to setup shop in 2012 were shut down. Weaver wants ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft so that “B.C. business remains competitive,” and safety of riders is “assured,” versus unregulated ride-sharing companies operating “under the radar.”

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Weaver continues to write:

I invite my colleagues from both the B.C. NDP and B.C. Liberal caucuses to discuss my ride-sharing enabling act and propose their ideas for this legislation in advance of its introduction in October.

We all want to see B.C. be a leader in the emerging economy, but we can’t get there if we continue to stick our heads in the sand when it comes to adopting new technology.

The NDP and B.C. Greens came together in May to oust the Liberal government, with their power sharing agreement noting ride sharing would come to the province, as long as taxis and ride hailing businesses had a level playing field.

The lack of Uber in Vancouver has been blamed by critics on the city’s powerful taxi lobby, which had frequently attended fundraisers for former Liberal Party leader and Premier, Christy Clark.

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