Could ridesharing services come to Vancouver by February?
The BC Liberals are “proposing a separate piece of legislation that would bring ridesharing to B.C. by Valentine’s Day”.
This announcement comes just a week after the NDP introduced their own ridesharing services legislation
Transportation critic and West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy will introduce Miscellaneous Statutes (Passenger Transportation Services) Amendment Act, 2018 as a Private Members Bill (PMB). This PMB is an exact copy of legislation written as a government bill in 2016 and provides a framework for insurance products.
RELATED: ICBC Reports Staggering $582M Net Loss In First 6 Months Of Fiscal Year
“The NDP claims that it will take another year to two years before insurance is ready and ridesharing companies can even apply for a license. The legislation we’re proposing today shows that claim is completely untrue,” says Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone.
“We have a ready-to-go framework that will allow British Columbians to take their Valentine on a date in an Uber or Lyft”.
According to Sturdy, “Uber confirmed late last week that the NDP’s legislation would prevent them from operating in B.C”.
The BC Liberals have been working on ridesharing legislation since 2014 and “then-Transportation Minister Todd Stone consulted and carefully developed a framework that modernized the taxi industry while opening the door to ridesharing companies currently operating around the globe”.
[sjnow-ad-large-leaderboard]
BC Liberals Ridesharing Services Legislation
The BC Liberal Private Members Bill allows for:
- A level playing field for existing and new operators including driver and vehicle standards, insurance requirements and service and supply flexibility
- Removal of restrictions related to supply so that the number of cars on B.C.’s roads from both existing and new operators would be determined by consumer demand
- Removal of boundary restrictions so drivers have the same access to provide services wherever and whenever a passenger needs a ride
- Removal of local government ability to require chauffer permits, business licenses, and other restrictive requirements
- Standardized provincial licensing, safety, enforcement and consumer protection requirements
- Removal of red tape and overlap within the system which will save all drivers money
- Provisions to ensure availability of accessible services
- A framework for replacing the requirement of a Class 4 driver’s license with Class 5 for all drivers of existing and new operators.
The bill ensures a level playing field is in place through requirements that highlight consumer and driver safety, including:
- Minimum 19 years of age for drivers and possession of an unrestricted driver’s license
- Criminal record checks
- Driver record checks
- Vehicle inspections
In addition, this bill would facilitate the provision of automobile insurance for all new operators, allowing for:
- The possibility of such insurance to be provided by private sector operators, in a timely manner.
- Ensuring a level playing field related to insurance coverages and cost for both existing and new operators.
[sjnow-ad-large-leaderboard]
