NDP Says Ride-Sharing Will Enter B.C., Legislation Should Respect Taxi Drivers

According to a new report from Metro News, the NDP says that there is no question that Uber and other ride-sharing companies will operate in British Columbia. The only clause the NDP imposed on that is the legislation that the province agrees on must also respect taxi drivers.

If the liberal party wins the election in May, ride-sharing companies may be able to start their operations in the province as soon as December 2017. NDP MLA Harry Bains accused the government of not listening to the concerns of taxi drivers. He said:

“It seems to me they made this policy in a backroom.The taxi industry feels it is a total sham and that [the government] had the decision already made.”

The provincial government plans to introduce legislations for ride-sharing companies this year that includes support for the taxi industry. The plan includes up to $1 million to build a new app and $3.5 million in crash-avoidance technology for all taxis.

In an email, B.C. NDP leader John Horgan said:

“There’s no question that ridesharing is coming to B.C.

I’ve always been supportive of using technology to improve services, but we need to ensure a level playing field that protects the jobs that already exist.”

The biggest change will be to eliminate restrictions involved with taxi licenses, which would decrease the cost of each license dramatically.