Hold the phone – Uber isn’t setting up shop in Burnaby just yet.
Though a representative for the smartphone-based ridesharing company was invited to speak to city council’s executive committee, the service won’t be appearing in the city any time soon.
“We made an attempt to let them know, before they go too far and try to launch in Burnaby – we have a bylaw that’s very strict in regards to taxi services,” Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who heads the committee, told the NOW.
While he said there was some back-and-forth with Chris Schafer, public policy manager for the company, about whether Uber is a ride-sharing app service or a transportation provider, Dhaliwal said the city has a firm position on the definition of “taxi”.
“If you charge for transporting passengers from Point A to Point B,” he said, “that’s a taxi.”
The company has not applied for a business license in Burnaby, Dhaliwal said, and hasn’t applied for permission from the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board as of yet.
“I can’t say if they will,” he added.
Dhaliwal pointed out it would be up to the transportation board to make any licensing decisions, as it issues taxi licenses.
Schafer spoke a lot about the technology behind Uber, according to Dhaliwal, but the committee was more interested in hearing about how the service would adhere to local regulations.
The company doesn’t have plans to expand into Burnaby at this time, according to Susie Heath, a spokesperson for Uber.
“We were pleased to have been invited by the City of Burnaby to come and speak about the benefits of the Uber platform,” she said in an email to the NOWafter the meeting.
“We had a very healthy dialogue during our presentation on Thursday – we are always happy to help communities explore ways to best serve their citizens and look forward to continuing our conversations with officials on ways that Uber can help the people of Burnaby better move around their city.”
Representatives from the taxi industry also spoke at the meeting, held last Thursday.
Mohan Singh Kang, president of the B.C. Taxi Association, said he was satisfied with Burnaby’s approach.
“I think it went pretty well,” he said. “The committee members have done their research.”
Uber cannot simply “muscle in” to the industry and flout regulations, Kang said.
“Uber must meet the set requirements of law,” he said.
But he added the decision on whether or not to support Uber lies with the committee.
“It is their ballgame,” he said.
Staff will compile a report on the meeting, which will go back to the committee. The committee will then forward its recommendations concerning Uber to council.
If council approves the recommendation, it will be sent to the transportation board, Dhaliwal said.
Council received a staff report on Uber back in October, which outlined concerns with the San Francisco-based company’s plans to expand into Canada.
The report called it an “unlicensed and unregulated ‘taxi service.’”
At the council meeting in October, Mayor Derek Corrigan said he opposed the service and said he was worried about the effect it would have on the local taxi industry.
In 2012, Uber briefly offered its services in Vancouver, but in November of that year the passenger board told the company there is a mandated $75 minimum per trip rate for limousine services in B.C., after which the company stopped providing services in the city.
