While the province considers what to do with ride-sharing services like Uber, a local business that offers car service in the region is hoping to make inroads in Burnaby.
Ripe Rides, which has 20 high-end vehicles in its fleet, describes itself as a point-to-point luxury car service in Vancouver, using smartphone integration to connect customers and drivers.
The company’s cofounder and president, Otis Perrick, explained the service is comparable to Uber Black and is a middle ground between taxis and limousines.
“We have some of the best software out there,” he told the NOW, adding the service is on the same playing field as other apps in the industry.
The company is based out of Vancouver but operates around the region, including Burnaby.
According to the company, through their smartphone, customers have accurate wait times and can see how much their ride will cost based on real-time GPS.
But unlike Uber, the company is legally allowed to operate in the region.
In April 2015, the Passenger Transportation Board issued 20 special licences to Ripe Rides. The fares are set by the transportation board, and the company employs its drivers.
In December, the company did a soft launch and has continued to update the software and grow business.
Perrick said the typical clients are between the ages of 22 and 60 and could be people on the weekends going out for an event or making business runs to the airport.
“It’s a vast clientele, but it’s clientele that is looking for a luxury,” he said.
Perrick also noted some clients are people who don’t have cars, but they’re going out for a special occasion and are willing to spend more than a taxi but not as much as a limo.
Reps from Ripe Rides have asked to appear as a delegation to Burnaby city council. The delegation has been referred to a transportation committee meeting in September.
Perrick said the meeting is to inform the city that the company is up and running and provide education about transportation network companies.
While the company continues to grow, the founder noted business in Burnaby hasn’t picked up compared to other cities like North Vancouver and Richmond.
He said the company does have cars close to Burnaby, and the service is most popular right now with people returning from Vancouver.
