The Passenger Transportation Board has given the green light to Uber and Lyft to operate ride-hailing service in the Lower Mainland.
Uber’s Application currently seeks only to operate in Region 1 (Lower Mainland and Whistler) but the company plans to begin operations in other Metro Vancouver communities as well. It is also contemplating expansion into other areas of the province after the initial roll out.
Uber’s Application is one of over 20 applications that were submitted by various companies.
The board has also approved the application of Lyft Canada Inc. to operate in Lower Mainland and Whistler.
Lyft anticipates that it will have 500 to 1,000 drivers on board by the time it starts operating, depending on the supply of commercially licensed drivers.
In its latest hearing, the board declined to approve the application of ReRyde Technologies Inc. to operate in the Capital Region 2, which includes Victoria.
The board also reject the application of Kater Technologies Inc. to operate in Region 1, that is Lower Mainland and Whistler, as well as in the Capital Regional District, on Vancouver Island, Okanagan-Kootenays-Cariboo, and BC North Central and other regions of BC.
The initial services which Uber proposes to provide in B.C. include UberX (the standard ride hailing product consisting of private rides for up to four people) and UberXL (for groups of six).
Subject to market conditions, Uber may add additional selections (e.g. UberComfort, UberPool, ExpressPool.)
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