Uber expands across B.C., challenging local taxi and ride-hailing companies in some cities
Competing companies urge British Columbians to choose local when it comes to getting a ride
Communities across B.C. will now have access to the ride-hailing app Uber starting Wednesday, as the company expands outside Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna.
While this may be promising news for some, taxi and other ride-hailing companies operating in those smaller communities are making the pitch as to why passengers should stick with them.
For example, Uride, which operates in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Vernon, Comox and Courtenay, started in Thunder Bay, Ont., after CEO Cody Ruberto started giving rides to folks to prevent impaired driving.
It works similarly to Uber and Lyft, where customers can order a ride on an app on their phone.
"It's kind of Canada's homegrown rideshare company," Ruberto told CBC's The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn.
Ruberto said they get a lot of uptake in the communities in which Uride operates, and they try to focus on driver satisfaction, which, in turn, usually translates to happy customers.
"If we have enough drivers in a city to meet demand and a little bit extra, there's times where we pause hiring and add more drivers as demand increases," he said. "It's critical for us to make it a great job for drivers and great service for drivers."
He's hopeful British Columbians will apply the push to support local at the grocery store to make similar decisions when it comes to choosing a ride-hailing company.
"It's sort of like the David versus Goliath, right, a $150 billion U.S. company versus the homegrown Canadian [ride-hailing] service."
Mohan Kang, the president of the B.C. Taxi Association agrees.
"Uber money flies over the border," he said. "The taxis, we all live in those communities. We pay taxes; we do everything a Canadian would be expected to do."
Kang, who has been involved with the taxi industry for about 50 years, said taxi drivers and companies across B.C. are worried about the introduction of Uber after what they saw in Vancouver.
Taxis have lost about half their business to companies like Uber and Lyft, Kang estimated. When Uber arrived in Vancouver, many drivers left taxi companies to join Uber or Lyft.
"It's going to hurt small taxi companies right up to shutting them down," Kang said.
He said there was never "a level playing field" in Vancouver, where taxis and ride-hailing companies had different rules and regulations around things like fleet size.
Kang believes there are enough taxis in B.C. communities to serve their respective populations.
"They serve the community well."
The app soft-launched in Vancouver in 2012, and only a few months later, the company withdrew from the city. After a lot of drama around ride-hailing legislation and taxis fighting against ride-hailing, the company returned to Vancouver in January of 2020.
Uber expanded to Victoria, Chilliwack and Kelowna in 2023.
Uber's pitch
In its news release, the company said driving with Uber can be a flexible way to make a living — for those with safe driving records. The company emphasized the ability to work when and where you want.
Uber said it is offering a $500 incentive for eligible drivers who take 10 trips in their respective communities in the first four weeks of operating.
Uber Canada general manager Michael van Hemmen said it's also a benefit to riders, as well.
"[B.C.] is an expensive place to live," he said. "Owning a car is expensive … instead of owning two cars and you can have a family and get away with one car and use transit and Uber for your other rides, you're saving money."
The company has partnered with community organizations, including MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), that are helping promote the service.
"Keeping roads safe is a responsibility we all share — and in British Columbia, that starts with giving people better options to get home," MADD CEO Steve Sullivan said in a news release.
"Whether in a big city or a smaller community, every safe ride is a step toward preventing impaired driving and protecting lives."
Van Hemmen said Uber will be particularly beneficial in communities that don't have other reliable transportation options, like the SkyTrain in Vancouver.
"Uber can help fill some of those gaps, especially to help, say, seniors get to appointments."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Claire Palmer and The Early Edition