(Image credit: Uride)

By Liam Verster

ride hailing

Uride use “trending in right direction” in Vernon, eyeing expansion

Jan 31, 2024 | 5:00 AM

One year after coming online in Vernon, officials with the ride sharing service Uride say they have seen positive results, and could be servicing more communities in the North Okanagan.

Ravi Dhali, Uride’s regional operations manager for Western Canada, told Vernon Matters the service that launched locally January 27, 2023, has been well received.

“We’re really happy with the way things are trending in Vernon,” Dhali said.

“We’re seeing an increase in ridership almost on a weekly basis and same on the driver side. We’re seeing more and more drivers wanting to come on board and work for us. So from our perspective, things are going great and we’re definitely excited to be in Vernon and we’re excited for the years to come.”

Dhali could not provide data on the average rides taken using the service per week in Vernon over the past year, or the average ride distance, nor could he compare the local riderships to other similar sized communities, stating the “competitive environment” of the transportation industry and the fact they were still relatively new to the market.

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However, he did say people have been using the service for more than just short trips.

“We’re starting to see a lot of trips into Kelowna” Dhali told Vernon Matters.

“People are beginning to see how reliable our service is, 24/7, so we’re seeing a ton of rides for people to catch their flights at Kelowna Airport or who have to go to Kelowna in general for appointments or whatnot.”

He added there were lots of rides to and from Predator Ridge and Sparkling Hill this summer, and the service was also offered for Silver Star trips this past winter.

The Uride spokesperson added the service was transporting people to nearby communities like Armstrong and Lumby, but not picking people up from there, though that may change in the near future.

“If anything, we’re going to be looking to expand our zone. I know Lumby, out to the east, and then even potentially Armstrong and Enderby to the north, plus we could go more down Westside Road,” Dhali said.

“That’s kind of the things I’m looking at right now rather than pulling the plug, that’s not in our future at all.”

Dhali added Vernon and area residents have embraced the service and they are “looking forward to working and providing transportation for many years to come.”