If you’ve been waiting for ridesharing to come to Burnaby, prepare to wait some more.
On Monday, Burnaby city council received a report from staff about San Francisco-based ridesharing company Uber and its intentions to expand into Canada. Uber allows drivers and prospective passengers to connect via a smartphone app, with the passenger paying for driving services and the company taking a cut of the fare.
While Uber operates in more than 40 countries, the report illustrated the city’s apprehension to implementing ridesharing, calling it an “unlicensed and unregulated ‘taxi service.’”
“Wherever they’ve started, they’ve always been greeted with controversy,” said Coun. Pietro Calendino. “In the city of Toronto, for example, they believe that UberX, which is the taxi part of their service, contravenes city bylaws.
“Their drivers do not hold city-issued licences, haven’t taken city-mandated training, have not put their cars through a city-mandated mechanical expansion, they lack safety equipment, and drivers may be inadequately insured.”
Calendino went on to note that Uber is banned in Brussels, Berlin, South Korea and parts of Australia. Cab drivers worldwide have also protested against the service.
Coun. Nick Volkow admitted he is not a fan of Uber and commented on the classification of Uber drivers as “independent contractors.”
“This is really a backdoor attempt at deregulating the entire industry from all sorts of rules and regulations that have been in place historically,” he said. “Literally anybody who has a four-door car can get into the business of ferrying passengers around in the Lower Mainland.”
Volkow also criticized the company’s practice of “surge pricing,” the act of adjusting taxi rates if weather conditions become poor.
Mayor Derek Corrigan emphasized the impact a ridesharing system could have on the local taxi industry and voiced his opposition to it.
“I certainly am not attracted to the idea of having this system in place in Burnaby and losing what I think is the credibility and reliability of taxi service,” he said. “It would take enough money away from the taxi industry that the taxi industry would be hurt, and then you wouldn’t have enough cars to provide the regular service.”
Council ultimately voted to refer the issue to the executive committee for further comment.
“I think we need to look at this a little more closely and ensure that, if this is to establish in our neighbourhood, that it operates legally and with safe vehicles,” said Calendino.
