WATCH: Green Party leader Andrew Weaver announced Monday that he will reintroduce ride-sharing legislation when MLA’s return to the house for the fall session. It’s a move proponents have been calling for some time now, but it’s also an idea that many oppose. Calvin To has more.
B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has announced that his party will be reintroducing ride-sharing legislation this fall.
The legislation would require the support of the support of the NDP to pass. Weaver has introduced the Ridesharing Enabling Act twice in the legislature, once in April 2016 and again in 2017.
?The government cannot stick its head in the sand when it comes to new technology,” Weaver said in a statement released Monday.
He said all parties want to see British Columbia be a leader in an “emerging economy.”
To do so, government must take a proactive, responsive approach that considers the wide-ranging impacts of technological innovation,” Weaver said.
In the statement, Weaver also said Vancouver is the largest city in North America that does not allow ridesharing.
During the provincial election campaign, all three parties it was time to bring ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft to B.C.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevena said in a statement that the ministry is aware of the need to overhaul B.C.’s regulations for taxis and passenger-directed vehicles to create a “made in B.C.” ride-sharing solution that creates a “level playing field for all service providers.”
“Premier John Horgan has identified the creation of a safe, fair and accessible ride-sharing system as a priority for government and I?ve been directed to work with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General to create a fair approach to ride sharing,” Trevena said.
Uber Canada released a statement following the B.C. Green Party announcement.
“We are pleased to see positive action from the BC Green Party today that will benefit British Columbians, and we encourage all parties to follow through on their election commitments to work together and make ridesharing a reality in 2017,” Susie Heath, spokesperson for Uber Canada, said in the statement.
The minority NDP government has not put a timeline on bringing ride sharing to B.C. Before they were defeated, the Liberals promised $1 million to help the taxi industry create an pp that would allow the public to order and pay for cabs the same way they would with a ride-hailing service.
They would also have given taxis exclusive rights to street hailing and wanted to work with municipal governments to reduce red tape and address shortages of taxis and vehicles for hire.
With files from the Canadian Press
The B.C. Greens will be reintroducing ride-sharing legislation in the fall.
Alexa Huffman
