Ride sharing finally comes to BC, but with lots of regulations

We take ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft for granted in other cities and jurisdictions. But British Columbia's case just goes to show how restrictive anti-free-market policies can be, and how disastrous they can be for our freedom.

In this video from the February 19, 2020 episode of The Gunn Show, Luis Sandoval of Stranded BC calls in to talk about this potential conflict of interest, and the regulations keeping Uber and Lyft drivers from thriving in the BC marketplace.

Seven communities not participating in regional ride-hailing licence

For most of the local governments that are not considering the licence bylaw, ride hailing licensing is not a priority.

Uber joins Lyft in expanding to White Rock, South Surrey and ferry terminals

According to Lyft, who made the announcement on Monday morning, they will now cover White Rock, South Surrey, Langley, the Tri-Cities and both the Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay ferry terminals.

One of the previously unregulated ridehailing companies in Richmond has been approved to operate province-wide

The Passenger Transportation Board's latest round of application decisions included the approval of the first province-wide ride-hailing licence to a Richmond start-up that had once been in hot water.

BC NDP: Stop protecting the taxi industry by imposing red tape on those who want to drive for ridesharing companies

In the latest days, according to the Global News website, Transportation Minister Claire Trevena mentions the following statement:

“Class 4 driver’s license provides a safer atmosphere for passenger directed vehicle movements, with extra testing and a medical examination completed at time of application and in routine intervals thereafter” ruling out the possibility of using a Class 5 driver's to work for companies such as Uber and Lyft.

However, according to ICBC statistics, there is no correlation between higher accident rates between the two class license holders. Also, in relation to an article published on the BC Chamber of Commerce website, the majority of Lyft drivers drive part time – in Toronto, 91% drive fewer than 20 hours per week without mentioning that Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and most U.S. jurisdictions only require a Class 5 license, which is the minimum every driver in B.C. must have.