944 replies to this topic

[vortoozo]

^ 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. 

 

You're telling me if your business was putting together a business plan/proposal it wouldn't do a basic amount of research? It was very apparent that Lucky did not.

 

There were several interveners but the board did a good job of separating the noise from the actual practical data.

I didn't see any evidence of cities opposed to ride sharing, though. The Tofino mayor was in support.

[spanky123]

^ The optics here are that the Government, in an effort to fulfill a promise to have service before XMAS, approves a bit operator in a small town that nobody cares about while ensuring that one who might compete against the taxi industry is shut down.

[Mike K.]

New taxi entrant Current Taxi, which has a fleet of Tesla’s, is already experiencing service issues with insufficient vehicles. A friend sent me a screenshot while standing in the downtown core on Douglas trying to hail a ride, and the booking app issued an alert stating “No available drivers - looks like there are no available drivers nearby right now. Please, try later.”

[Victoria Watcher]

there will be wildly varying success rates. Just like the free market works is,

[Mike K.]

The Tyee takes issue with the gig economy. Other than essentially pushing for more unionization, I'm not sure what point the writer is making.

 

My comments are in [ ].

 

https://thetyee.ca/A...Up-for-Giggers/

 

The California law has been criticized by some workers in the gig economy — particularly freelance writers who fear companies will dump them if they’re classified as employees. [companies did dump them]

 

But it’s at least an effort to bring greater fairness to the growing number of people working in the precarious world of the gig economy. [those freelance writers don't feel their predicament is fair at all]

 

That world works as a choice for some people. (I’ve been living in it for 24 years.) <--- writer's comment

 

But increasingly it’s a way to strip workers of their rights to the benefit of employers.

 

And in Canada, governments have chosen to stand by while that happens, and more and more citizens find themselves in low-paying, insecure jobs, with no workplace rights.

 

 

This piece seems to go all over the place. The gig economy is great, but it's not great. It's a new issue, but an old issue. Huh?

[spanky123]

When the current market price is $50 for an article you get what you get.

[Jackerbie]

Breaking news from the PTB: https://www.ptboard....l_decisions.pdf

 

• Uber and Lyft approved in Region 1 (Lower Mainland and Whistler)
• ReRyde declined in Region 2 (CRD), Region 3 (Vancouver Island), and Region 4 (Okanagan-Kootenays-Cariboo)
• Kater declined in Region 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (North Central and other regions)

Edited by Jackerbie, 23 January 2020 - 11:54 AM.

[Jackerbie]

The announcement goes on to state that the PTB has made decisions on only 6 of the 29 applications received to date

[Victoria Watcher]

Two mega-ridesharing companies have been approved to operate on Lower Mainland roadways.

Both Uber and Lyft have been given the green light to operate in Zone 1, which covers the Lower Mainland and Whistler region, the Passenger Transportation Board announced Thursday.

 

https://www.vicnews....lower-mainland/

[tanker]

We won't get ride hailing here for another 5-10 years.

[Victoria Watcher]

Citing concerns about both companies’ business plans, the board rejected applications from ReRyde Technologies, which intended to operate in Greater Victoria, the Island and the Okanagan, and Kater Technologies, which intended to operate in all regions of the province.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she wasn’t privy to the province’s reasons for rejecting the applications. “But I think it’s safe to say that our mobility future here does include ride-sharing,” she said. “We’re not the province. We can’t approve them, but certainly we can continue to signal that they are welcome here.”

https://www.timescol...cted-1.24059786

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 January 2020 - 04:18 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

isn’t kater the one built by the Vancouver cab companies and moe sihota?

[Victoria Watcher]

News 1130:

 

Uber says it will be on the road by 11 a.m. Friday

 

The ride-hailing giant says drivers will be on the road less than 24 hours after they were given the go-ahead to operate on the Lower Mainland. 

 

In an email to users, they say rides will be available in Vancouver Friday morning. 

 

Uber and Lyft were both given business licences by the City of Vancouver Thursday afternoon. 

 

 

 

I wonder if the ferry terminal has geared up for this.  That surely will be a major pick-up point.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 January 2020 - 06:01 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

News 1130:

 

Lyft launches in Metro Vancouver today

 

It's unclear exactly what time passengers will be able to start booking a Lyft, but the company says it has officially launched. The service, for the time being, will operate in the core of the City of Vancouver, as well as provide service to Vancouver International Airport and the PNE. This comes after Lyft and Uber received approval from the Passenger Transportation Board yesterday. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 January 2020 - 08:08 AM.

[spanky123]

^ It will be interesting. The Province has imposed minimum pricing on ride sharing and Surrey won't allow it so we will see how competitive and wide spread roll out is. In other cities the airport and ferry terminal also take their share which adds to the fees.

[Jackerbie]

News 1130:

 

Uber says it will be on the road by 11 a.m. Friday

 

The ride-hailing giant says drivers will be on the road less than 24 hours after they were given the go-ahead to operate on the Lower Mainland. 

 

In an email to users, they say rides will be available in Vancouver Friday morning. 

 

Uber and Lyft were both given business licences by the City of Vancouver Thursday afternoon. 

 

 

 

I wonder if the ferry terminal has geared up for this.  That surely will be a major pick-up point.

 

Depends if Delta has issued a business license yet. AFAIK, only Vancouver has licensed Uber and Lyft, so they cannot pick up rides outside Vancouver.

[lanforod]

Isn't Delta part of Metro Vancouver?

[Victoria Watcher]

The chair of the TransLink Mayors’ Council says a regional ridesharing business licence is still in the works for Metro Vancouver, meaning drivers signing up for Uber and Lyft will have to rely on individual licences for each municipality they plan to operate in.

 

But with the costs of those licences ranging from $25 to over $500 per vehicle, that could make driving and picking up across the region too pricey for many to consider right now.

 

Jonathan Cote said that could start to change as soon as early February, however, when the framework for the regional licence is expected to be ready.

 

_________________________

 

 

Burnaby has the highest business fee at $510 per vehicle. Richmond will be charging each vehicle $132, Vancouver’s fee is $100 and Delta’s is $25 per driver.

 

The Tri-Cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody have approved a single ridesharing licence that does not have a per-vehicle fee, while New Westminster and the North Shore municipalities have not yet introduced their own licences.

 

Cote said those municipalities with no regulations or licences in place will still allow ridesharing to operate while they wait for the regional licence to be ready for approval.

 

https://globalnews.c...-lyft-licences/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 January 2020 - 09:46 AM.

[Jackerbie]

Isn't Delta part of Metro Vancouver?

 

Yes, but there is no inter-municipal business licence for ride hailing yet. Uber has approval to operate in the lower mainland, but only has a business license to operate in the City of Vancouver (as far as I know). Until the inter-municipal business licence is available, Uber and Lyft need separate licenses to operate in each municipality (which is also the case with taxis).

 

For example, Richmond has decided to just use the existing taxi licensing system for ride hailing until the inter-municipal license is available.

[Bernard]

I still think the ride-sharing and taxi zones should be the same.   The playing field should be level for everyone.   The PTB should not be judging the business plans of the companies.   The business owner is the one it matters to.