A B.C. parliamentary committee charged with finding a way forward on the future of ride hailing got down to work at hearings in Vancouver this week.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with government, the reality on the road has already accelerated away from the regulators’ grasp.
Ride hailing is a political quagmire – pitting a frustrated public keen to see it against a protected taxi industry (key to several NDP seats) equally keen not to. That’s part of why the province isn’t exactly putting its foot on the gas with this file.
That hasn’t stopped half a dozen illegal ride-sharing operations from starting up in Metro Vancouver, however – many of them catering to Chinese-speaking customers. It’s a classic case of closing the garage door after the Bimmer has bolted.
The transportation branch can talk all they want about regulation, licensing and “educating the public” about the dangers of unregulated ride hailing. But the public doesn’t care. They just want to get home.
We’d argue that in the interests of public safety, it’s worth knowing if the person driving the car has a licence or a criminal record, if the car is safe and has adequate insurance. But endless layers of regulation about how many taxis should be on the road and ensuring their profitability win less widespread public sympathy.
Those convinced that companies like Uber and Lyft will make everything better might be disappointed in the long run. But the status quo is clearly not a good solution – or even the status quo anymore.
The sooner reluctant politicians legalize and regulate some kind of ride-hailing option, the fairer and safer it will be.
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