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City Ready For Ride Sharing

City Ready For Ride Sharing

Jan 28, 2019 | 6:30 AM

Enderby council continues to speak for smaller BC communities about the need for ride sharing services.

Mayor Greg McCune says they have written the province, saying it’s not just the big cities that could benefit from companies like Uber and Lyft, but also rural areas that don’t have taxis or limited transit.

“We strongly believe that for rural communities, it would truly benefit them. We’re limited on transportation as it is. Buses only run certain days and certain times. We do have handi-darts for medical appointments, so each community is doing their best to come up with as many transportation solutions as they can, but we felt this would be an opportunity where, you know, you’ve got three or four guys in town, and you could call the number and they would go, ‘Yes I’m available, or here’s what cars are available.’ You could get a ride to Vernon for a doctors appointment or just get to a grocery store if you’re older,” McCune tells Beach Radio News.

However, the mayor says council is concerned the province could over-regulate it, making its unfeasible in smaller centres.

McCune says insurance and licensing rules should be reasonable, and the market should determine the number of vehicles.

Council also feels a regular Class 5 driver’s license should be sufficient for operators.

“Don’t create another class that a person here that might give four rides a month, might not want to spend the money to get that class. That’s all were asking is for them to be realistic. You need regulations but right now we want them to consider what it would like like in a small community,” adds McCune.

Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster has also talked about the benefits ride sharing would bring to his home town of Lumby.

The NDP government is expected to allow ride sharing companies to operate in the province by this fall.

Photo courtesy of CFJC Today