Horgan confident ride-hailing ‘just around the corner’ in B.C.
Posted November 28, 2019 4:04 pm.
Last Updated November 28, 2019 5:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s premier says even if ride-hailing doesn’t make it to the province by the holidays, it’s still a success.
John Horgan says he is still hoping British Columbians will get ride-hailing by Christmas, saying he’s convinced “goodwill will get us there.” He says everything from insurance, to licensing, to safety all had to be figured out from the ground up, and there have been twists and turns the government didn’t predict.
“I don’t think it’s a failure if we get to end results,” he said Thursday, but added it has been a long road.
“We started from scratch, had to amend half a dozen or more bills, and that took more time than we expected. I am confident ride-hailing is coming to British Columbia in a fair and transparent way.”
He says the Passenger Transportation Board is busy working overtime to process the mountain of paperwork they received with applications.
“I still remain convinced that goodwill will get us there. We’re not yet in December. 20 companies want to operate here. They are doing all they can to be ready for that,” he says.
He says even if they don’t hit the holiday season deadline, it’s not a failure.
Those concerned with the ride-hailing timeline include Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart who says he’s worried people are expecting ride-hailing to be part of their holiday transportation plans.
Stewart blames politicians in Victoria for not following through on promises to have the service in place by Christmas, and is accusing the provincial government of protecting the existing taxi monopoly in the region.
– With files from Nikitha Martins
