Surrey Board of Trade endorses ride-sharing
Posted April 21, 2016 6:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Businesses in Surrey are pushing for the introduction of ride-sharing in BC.
The Surrey Board of Trade is urging the province to get moving on legislation to ensure services like Uber are fair and safe.
“We believe that companies like Uber need to be introduced into this market. It’s an innovative transportation solution,” says Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman.
Huberman admits part of their endorsement is out of frustration with other transportation projects in the city.
“It’s one of the ingredients in the overall recipe,” she tells us. “We still want light rail transit in Surrey. We still need a re-build of the Pattullo Bridge and other investments related to transportation infrastructure, but we’re going to be facing another million people in this region and we need to look at alternative transportation options.”
The Board has a few suggestions of what could be included in legislation allowing ride-sharing in BC, pointing to things that already being done in the US.
“In order to be allowed on the Uber platform, ride-sharing drivers must pass a federal criminal background check. [There’s also] a vehicle inspection check, valid insurance, and a safe driving record. ICBC has a role to play in all of this, too.
“And there are ways for consumers to be safe, not only from the driver of the vehicle, but also the safety of the vehicle. I think if all of those measures were in place — nothing is ever perfect — I think that is going to really make a difference.”
Huberman notes if ride-sharing were to be introduced in BC, it would mean a hit on the taxi industry.
“We encourage the BC government to take steps to mitigate this impact by reviewing the current regulatory regime on the taxi industry and other transportation providers.”
