944 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

The goal is self-driving/autonomous transportation. Without it they'll never be profitable. The bet is whether or not that pans out.

 

right.  but it see no reason there won't be 100 brands in the market at that point.  like cities with multiple bike rental companies.

[Mike K.]

Yes, exactly, which is why the push is on for these companies to create or at least have an involvement in the software/technology that will power the industry.

[Victoria Watcher]

once cars are autonomous won't you be much more likely to lend yours out knowing it can't really be in a human-caused crash?

 

what i mean is right now you will not lend your car to your very very nice and responsible neighbour even if they give you $20 because you have no idea if they are a good or even a licensed driver.  but once your car drives the same with you in it or just your 15-year-old partly-blind niece in it (the exact same very very small chance of a crash) we all might lend our cars out more often for free or for an informally negotiated fee.  no different than you might lend them a snow shovel today.  or in winter at least.  or your shop-vac.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 July 2019 - 02:07 PM.

[spanky123]

once cars are autonomous won't you be much more likely to lend yours out knowing it can't really be in a human-caused crash?

 

what i mean is right now you will not lend your car to your very very nice and responsible neighbour even if they give you $20 because you have no idea if they are a good or even a licensed driver.  but once your car drives the same with you in it or just your 15-year-old partly-blind niece in it (the exact same very very small chance of a crash) we all might lend our cars out more often for free or for an informally negotiated fee.  no different than you might lend them a snow shovel today.  or in winter at least.  or your shop-vac.

 

We will all be long dead and buried before the idea of fully autonomous cars ever materializes. 

[Victoria Watcher]

A spokesman for Uber says the company might not operate outside Metro Vancouver if it can’t get enough qualified drivers with a commercial licence in keeping with ride-hailing regulations set by the B.C. government.

Michael van Hemmen said the company’s decision to launch will also be based on policies finalized in mid-August by the Passenger Transportation Board on issues such as flexible pricing and boundaries. The province has said ride-hailing drivers must have a Class 4 licence, similar to those held by taxi drivers, rather than the standard Class 5 licence held by most motorists in the province.

 

 

https://www.timescol...oria-1.23895584

[Mike K.]

I think these are the costs involved if you want to pursue a Class 4 license.

 

- medical certification: $28

- road test: $40

[Victoria Watcher]

i'm not even sure if it's that big a hurdle to someone that's determined to be an uber driver.  but for someone thinking of trying it out especially part-time it's a hassle that will just turn some away. 

 

let's face it nobody really wants to go on an another road test.

 

https://dailyhive.co...vers-license-bc

 

How hard is it to get a Class 4 licence?

 

 

Commercial learner’s license

To get your licence, you’ll need to get a learner’s licence before taking your road test for a full-privilege licence. To do this, you will need to pass a knowledge test, a road signs test, and meet medical standards.

Once you get your learner’s licence, it’s valid for one year, and can be renewed by taking and re-passing the knowledge test. To take your test, visit any driver licensing office (except for Cloverdale and Surrey Guildford) to do so.

Bring with you:

• Accepted ID
• Any glasses or contacts you need for the vision test
• Payment for the test and licence

If you have moved to BC from another province or country, you’ll also need to bring a three-year driving record.

Full-privilege commercial licence

To get your full-privilege commercial licence, you’ll need to pass a road test and driver medical exam.

To book your commercial road test in the Lower Mainland, Kelowna and Prince George, call ICBC’s road test booking call centre. For all other locations call your local driver licensing office. You can’t book your test online.

What to bring to your road test:

• Accepted ID
• Any glasses or contacts you need
• Payment for the test(s)
• Your learner’s licence
• A vehicle suited to the Class of licence you’re testing for
•  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2019 - 02:50 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

it’s overkill. it’s like the government requiring your next door neighbour’s 17-year-old to have ece certification to babysit your kids once a week.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2019 - 02:55 PM.

[Mike K.]

Sounds pretty simple.

 

1) Get a medical certificate.

2) Take a road test.

 

If either of those things you believe are an impediment maybe you shouldn't be driving strangers around for hours at a time? I'm no fan of the NDP's requirements, but getting a class 4 seems pretty simple. Daily Hive has created a mountain out of a mole hill (Step 1!: bring ID... really?).

[Victoria Watcher]

I don’t think you get it. if the government told you you had to get a class 4 to go through drive thru restaurants almost every drive thru would close.

it’s onerous. to all but the most determined. that’s just the way humans work.

it’s a part time job that pays very little. put up more roadblocks and you shrink the pool of applicants. it’s pretty simple to see that.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2019 - 03:09 PM.

[Mike K.]

Oh yeah, I get that.

 

But the Daily Hive list above is absurdly deceptive. It's just a two-step process.

[sebberry]

It's a time-consuming, drawn out process that adds little to no safety benefit.  We've all seen how well many taxi drivers drive...

 

I don't know the numbers, but a significant portion of those seriously injured or killed in multi-vehicle collisions are occupants of the non-fault car.  Perhaps we should require anyone driving pizzas around, or delivering for local couriers to have class 4 licenses too?  

[Jackerbie]

it’s overkill. it’s like the government requiring your next door neighbour’s 17-year-old to have ece certification to babysit your kids once a week.

 

If it's overkill for Uber, then it's overkill for Blue Bird Cabs. The NDP is just calling a spade a spade.

[shoeflack]

It's a time-consuming, drawn out process that adds little to no safety benefit.  We've all seen how well many taxi drivers drive...

 

I don't know the numbers, but a significant portion of those seriously injured or killed in multi-vehicle collisions are occupants of the non-fault car.  Perhaps we should require anyone driving pizzas around, or delivering for local couriers to have class 4 licenses too?  

 

I don't think being a taxi driver and having a commercial drivers license are entirely co-dependent. Most people drive a heck of a lot more cautiously when taking any road test, which is how they pass. Then over many years, they develop bad habits, which is how so many people end up saying "how the heck does that person have a license!".

 

One of the more important things that comes from holding a Class 4 license is the non-driving things. Things like the pre-trip check for instance that you are not required to do for you personal vehicle, but are for a commercial vehicle. Also that if you, as a commercial driver, do something negligent, there is a higher standard you are held to in the courts. There's also the whole CVSE piece as well that now applies to you. So yes, there is a "safety benefit".

 

Taxi drivers can be terrible because they don't really have any incentive to change (i.e. lack of competition). But if and when they cause an accident, they are help to a higher standard than if you got into an accident while driving around town.

 

I think more so than a Class 4 license, for those who think critically anyways, will be how becoming an Uber driver affects things like your vehicle warranty. Most manufacturers have exemptions to parts of their warranties if your vehicle is used commercially.

[sebberry]

If it's overkill for Uber, then it's overkill for Blue Bird Cabs. The NDP is just calling a spade a spade.

 

Should a Class 4 be required for cab drivers? What's the correlation between license class and crash risk?

[sebberry]

I think more so than a Class 4 license, for those who think critically anyways, will be how becoming an Uber driver affects things like your vehicle warranty. Most manufacturers have exemptions to parts of their warranties if your vehicle is used commercially.

 

I think you just run out of warranty sooner as you rack up more miles.

 

The word 'commercial' doesn't appear in this context in the Ford warranty guide.

[Victoria Watcher]

If it's overkill for Uber, then it's overkill for Blue Bird Cabs. 

 

it's overkill for blue bird too.  

[vortoozo]

I like the idea of rideshare drivers requiring some extra testing.

As shoeflack mentioned, some people develop bad habits over several years of driving. Even just preparing for the road test may jog a few memories and lead to overall safer driving.

What's the big deal? Most places have you do some training when you start a new job. If you're going to be an entrepreneur and start shuttling people around, going through a bit of a self training process followed by a monitored check isn't the worst idea.

[Victoria Watcher]

I like the idea of rideshare drivers requiring some extra testing.

As shoeflack mentioned, some people develop bad habits over several years of driving. Even just preparing for the road test may jog a few memories and lead to overall safer driving.

What's the big deal? Most places have you do some training when you start a new job. If you're going to be an entrepreneur and start shuttling people around, going through a bit of a self training process followed by a monitored check isn't the worst idea.

 

if you support it then you should also support mandatory testing for anyone that drives for a living.  As shoeflack mentioned, some people develop bad habits over several years of driving. Even just preparing for the road test may jog a few memories and lead to overall safer driving.

 

What's the big deal? Most places have you do some training when you start a new job. If you're going to be driving your car or a company car, going through a bit of a self training process followed by a monitored check isn't the worst idea.

[Victoria Watcher]

if you support it then you should also support mandatory testing for anyone that drives with anyone else in the car.  As shoeflack mentioned, some people develop bad habits over several years of driving. Even just preparing for the road test may jog a few memories and lead to overall safer driving.

 

What's the big deal?  If you're going to be driving a car with an innocent passenger(s) aboard, going through a bit of a self training process followed by a monitored check isn't the worst idea.

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 July 2019 - 04:49 PM.