CANADA: Uber Not Licensed In BC, But Some Cities Yearning For Their Service

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says Uber has not applied to operate in B.C., as several Metro Vancouver municipalities call for the province to allow the ride-sharing company to operate.

Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Langley Township councils voted last week to ask the provincial government to reconsider the rules that stop cities from allowing ride-sharing.

Sonia Lowe, a public affairs officer for the ministry, said the government has not yet received any letters from the Tri-Cities municipalities, but welcomes their feedback on this issue.

“We understand there is a strong desire for choices in transportation options throughout the province and we continue to work with our stakeholders with a view to moving forward,” she said, in an emailed statement.

She said the Passenger Transportation Act requires any vehicle operated by the person who charges or collects compensation for transporting passengers to have a licence. She said at this point, the Passenger Transportation Branch has not received any applications from Uber to operate in B.C. She did not say whether the government would consider amending this law.

Kathleen Vincent, a spokeswoman for the city of Coquitlam, said she anticipates Coquitlam will send its letter to the government next week.

In Vancouver, city staff have been in consultation with the San Francisco-based Uber as demand for the service grows in the city. But Vancouver still has a moratorium on the service.

In October, council voted to leave an existing moratorium on new licences in place for another year, despite a shortage of cabs during peak hours.

In Toronto, meanwhile, Mayor John Tory said Monday it would be impractical for the city to try to shut down Uber, which is preparing to launch another ride-sharing service called uberHOP on Tuesday.

UberHop will be a rush-hour, carpool option that links some of Toronto’s busiest neighbourhoods to the downtown business district for a flat $5 fee.

Tory said there’s no point trying to judge if Uber’s expansion is good or bad for Toronto, and called it another convenient and affordable option for consumers and a marketplace response to a reality.

He said Uber has over 300,000 users and 15,000 drivers in Toronto, and it would not be practical to try to force the company to cease operations until new regulations are enacted.

Tory said lawyers are gathering more evidence about Uber, but so far are not recommending the city make a second attempt for an injunction to shut it down.