Taxi Operators Ask B.C. Court to Quash Rules Allowing Uber, Lyft to Operate

Just a day after Premier John Horgan’s assured the Vancouver Taxi Association that the government will “minimize negative effects on the taxi sector” from the introduction of ride-hailing services, a group of taxi companies has asked the Supreme Court to strike down rules allowing Uber and Lyft to operate in B.C. (via Vancouver Sun).

In his letter to the Association, promised support for taxi drivers particularly around the unlimited fleet-size policy of the independent transportation board. While the board is expected to review the decision at some point, Horgan noted that the government wanted that review to occur “in a timely way.” 

However, Vancouver lawyer Peter Gall, who is representing Yellow Cabs, Black Top Cabs, Maclure’s Cabs, Vancouver Taxi, North Shore Taxi, Richmond Cabs, Bonny’s Taxi, Burnaby Select Taxi, and Queen City Taxi, belies that the board does not have the statutory power to create operating policies for ride-hailing.

“They want the (operating) policies quashed and they want a fair hearing before the Passenger Transportation Board,” said Gall.

“The taxi industry says that before you introduce policies to support the business model of Uber and Lyft, you have to carefully scrutinize that business model and you have to give the affected parties an opportunity to respond to that business model and it didn’t do that,” he said. “That’s why we want the policy quashed and we want a fair hearing before the board to look into that business model.”

The board now has 21 days to respond to the court case.