The Government of Saskatchewan has passed The Vehicles For Hire Act on Tuesday, outlining how the ride-booking companies like Uber and Lyft will be allowed to operate in the province. Joe Hargrave, the minister responsible for SGI, said that insurance rates will be calculated based on kilometres travelled, CBC News is reporting.
“If they’re basically using their personal vehicle for a full-time, you know, ride-share or full-time taxi almost, they’ll be paying that full rate,” Hargrave said. “We want to keep that playing field as level as we can for them all.”
For a comparison, annual insurance for a personal vehicle is roughly $1,000 while taxi cab insurance is around $5,000.
While applauding the Saskatchewan government, Lyft representative Matt Patton said the company needs to figure out certain issues like insurance, before disclosing an opening date.
“I mean we have an umbrella policy, but we’re working on determining what’ll be the best way to serve drivers and passengers and those conversations with SGI”, he said.
The new act requires drivers with any ride-booking companies to have a Class 4 licence, get yearly vehicle checks by SGI, and have a criminal record check, in step with requests made by the Saskatchewan Taxi Cab Association (STCA).
However, a number of regulatory decisions and municipal bylaws are still to be made, which will be closely monitored by the STCA.
