944 replies to this topic

[vortoozo]

This isn't unique to Victoria. Same thing happening on the mainland.

[Love the rock]

This isn't unique to Victoria. Same thing happening on the mainland.

The Mayor of Surrey wanted to try this also .I can only guess it’s party because a large amount of citizens who drive cab living and voting in Surrey feeling threatened by competition .To my knowledge it was vetoed by the province. Hopefully I have my information correct. Can we please just get on to it what ever it works out to be .
No more taxpayers money spent on surveys or ways to prop up the taxi service.
Can we not look at other provinces where it appears to work taxi and ride share together and move on according .

[spanky123]

^ Agreed. Staff propose striking sections 2-5 from the vehicle for hire bylaw as it refers to taxis. In essence the gloves are coming off and taxis are free to do as they feel including setting their own prices, picking up multiple passengers on a route, soliciting business on the street, operating as many cars as they want, etc, etc

 

https://www.victoria...ylaw-03-060.pdf

[Jackerbie]

What if Saanich introduces its own license? And Esquimalt its own? And so does Oak Bay, but with different requirements?

This could turn into a hot mess.

 

So someone wants to go to the airport and the driver has to stop at the Saanich border because they are not licensed there? 13 x $150 is almost $2,000 a year in licensing fees which is about the amount of money part time drivers actually take home every year.

 

IMHO, the only reason for this last minute move by Victoria is to kill off the remaining ride share companies before they get a chance to start.

 

This is the way it already is for taxis in Vancouver (and probably Victoria). Every municipality has it's own business licence, and if you're not licensed in a particular municipality you can drop off there but cannot pick up.

[Jackerbie]

The Mayor of Surrey wanted to try this also .I can only guess it’s party because a large amount of citizens who drive cab living and voting in Surrey feeling threatened by competition .To my knowledge it was vetoed by the province. Hopefully I have my information correct. Can we please just get on to it what ever it works out to be .
No more taxpayers money spent on surveys or ways to prop up the taxi service.
Can we not look at other provinces where it appears to work taxi and ride share together and move on according .

 

(The Mayor of) Surrey wants to use their Business Licensing Bylaw to allow them to not issue any business licenses to ride hailing companies

[spanky123]

This is the way it already is for taxis in Vancouver (and probably Victoria). Every municipality has it's own business licence, and if you're not licensed in a particular municipality you can drop off there but cannot pick up.

 

According to the bylaw I referenced:

 

38 There is no fee for the issue of a taxi driver’s permit.

[lanforod]

(The Mayor of) Surrey wants to use their Business Licensing Bylaw to allow them to not issue any business licenses to ride hailing companies

 

Does Amazon apply for a business license in Surrey? Or any other city (beyond ones that they have a physical presence in, eg. distribution center).

[Victoria Watcher]

Does Amazon apply for a business license in Surrey? Or any other city (beyond ones that they have a physical presence in, eg. distribution center).

 

that's a fair question.  if i'm a plumber in langley do i need a business license to do work in abbotsford?  what about if i just drive through and buy supplies in abbotsford in the course of business?

[shoeflack]

Does Amazon apply for a business license in Surrey? Or any other city (beyond ones that they have a physical presence in, eg. distribution center).

 

that's a fair question.  if i'm a plumber in langley do i need a business license to do work in abbotsford?  what about if i just drive through and buy supplies in abbotsford in the course of business?

 

Mobile Business License. If you don't participate in that licensing program, then yes, you need a business licence from each municipality in which you intend to operate. Buying supplies (in general) doesn't count as requiring a license, which is why you can pretty much buy supplies from anywhere in the world.

Edited by shoeflack, 09 December 2019 - 11:53 AM.

[LJ]

My experience with Uber is that the drivers work for awhile and get a bunch of regulars then they quit Uber and work for themselves.

[Jason-L]

https://www.washingt...rt/?arc404=true

 

"Uber has a unit devoted to handling the most sensitive safety reports, but a September investigation in The Washington Post found that investigators are instructed to keep the company’s interests foremost, including through restrictions on their ability to report apparent felonies to police and a ban at the time on sharing information with competitor Lyft about possibly dangerous drivers. The restrictions meant that some drivers who were banned from Uber or Lyft for violations like poor driving or even assaults on passengers could, with impunity, simply register as a driver for the other company."

[spanky123]

https://www.washingt...rt/?arc404=true

 

"Uber has a unit devoted to handling the most sensitive safety reports, but a September investigation in The Washington Post found that investigators are instructed to keep the company’s interests foremost, including through restrictions on their ability to report apparent felonies to police and a ban at the time on sharing information with competitor Lyft about possibly dangerous drivers. The restrictions meant that some drivers who were banned from Uber or Lyft for violations like poor driving or even assaults on passengers could, with impunity, simply register as a driver for the other company."

 

Unfortunately it is called privacy rights. Exactly the same reason why a company in Victoria doesn't report an employee who commits a crime to its competitors. 

[Jackerbie]

Tofino-based Whistle (Green Coast Ventures) is the first ride-hailing company to receive PTB approvals. They will operate in Regions 1 and 3, aka the Lower Mainland/Squamish/Whistler/Lillooet, and Vancouver Island excluding the CRD.

 

Victoria-based Lucky (LTG Technologies) had their application declined.

 

via https://bc.ctvnews.c...e=?clipId=89531

Edited by Jackerbie, 16 December 2019 - 01:34 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Ride hailing has finally been approved in B.C.

 

Green Coast Ventures plans to focus on smaller communities, like Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton, in its first year, although its application says the company plans to operate in other parts of the Lower Mainland in the future, including return trips from Vancouver to Squamish.

 

The service will operate under the name “Whistle.”

 

The company will also have cars in Tofino and Ucluelet. There’s no word when it will start operating.

 

https://www.citynews...ncouver-island/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 December 2019 - 01:33 PM.

[Jackerbie]

For those interested, the full text of both decisions is published online, here: https://www.ptboard....16_Bulletin.pdf

[spanky123]

For those interested, the full text of both decisions is published online, here: https://www.ptboard....16_Bulletin.pdf

 

Interesting reads. Sounds like the standard is very high for larger ride hailing companies (ie they need a very robust business plan, proven experience operating fleet services and proof of driver supply). 

[vortoozo]

Interesting reads. Sounds like the standard is very high for larger ride hailing companies (ie they need a very robust business plan, proven experience operating fleet services and proof of driver supply). 

 

It sounds more to me like Lucky-To-Go submitted a woefully incomplete application.

A representative from Lucky-To-Go was on CHEK tonight indicating that they would rectify the deficiencies and reapply.

There's nothing to suggest yet that the deck is stacked against new entrants that do the proper research and have a stong business plan.

[spanky123]

^ I would agree with you if the business and commercial expectations for companies were set prior to their applications. Reading the rulings it seems as though some of the elements are subjective and arbitrary. 

[vortoozo]

They're applying the same framework that the have for years in order to evaluate Is the applicant a fit and proper person to provide the service and is the applicant capable of providing the service (s. 28(1)(b))?

 

New bus companies & new taxi companies have certainly been approved in the past. Not having a history just means they look more into the business plan, market data presented, etc.

The Tofino application when out and collected data from different potential customers and presented that with their application. It's easy stuff to do, not super scientific, but could have just as easily been done by the Victoria company.

Any new applicant worth their salt should have read past PTB decisions online to see their previous decisions, and ensure their application is tailored to what works and what doesn't. That's where the Tofino company's experience came into play. They've worked with PTB before and know what to expect. Seems like Lucky didn't bother. I wouldn't call it arbitrary at all.

[spanky123]

^ Sorry but the lack of an adequately defined standard makes the process arbitrary. An applicant shouldn't be required to read through prior case history of the taxi cab industry to determine what expectations will be set for their own application. It should be spelled out in the precise terms (ie number of drivers, capitalization levels, years of experience in management team, etc).

 

I note that each of the applications had interveners from the unions, the taxi industry and Cities that are opposed to ride sharing. 

Edited by spanky123, 17 December 2019 - 12:29 PM.