The mayor of Kelowna has called the decision to reject Uber Canada’s request to operate in the interior of British Columbia and on Vancouver Island as “puzzling.”
Earlier this week, the province’s Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) finally issued a decision on the matter, 16 months after Uber submitted its application to expand the service in British Columbia on August 31, 2020.
In January 2020, Uber was granted a request to offer ridesharing services in the Lower Continent, but the PTB said in its decision that it was not “convinced that there is a public need for the requested service.”
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BC Transportation Board Denies Uber Request Operates Inside Vancouver Island
That left Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran shaking his head, along with his counterpart in Victoria, who will also remain Uber-less for the time being.
“It is truly disappointing for the board to say that it is not convinced that there is a public need for ride-sharing services outside of the Lower Mainland,” Basran said in a public statement.
“That point of view definitely does not align with what we are hearing and experiencing in Kelowna. Our airport is the largest in Canada without transportation services, and we hear about that from domestic and international passengers all the time. “
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps was also disappointed in the board’s decision.
“Victoria’s number one private sector industry is technology, and tech companies have been advocating for Uber since at least 2017 or earlier,” Helps said. the Victoria Times-Colonist.
Global News requested an interview with the PTB, but was told in an email that “the chairman of the board is not participating in media interviews at this time.”
In Kelowna, Basran said safety is another reason Uber is needed, and not just in downtown Okanagan.
“Safety is probably the most important reason we should have carpool options in Kelowna. They offer another option to get home to people who might be intoxicated, ”Basran said.
“Other cities have seen drunk driving charges drop after private transportation companies began operating. The local taxi industry does not have the capacity for growth to fully meet the demand for vacations.
“Furthermore, contrary to claims that the taxi industry has not recovered from pandemic declines in passenger numbers, provincial data shows that the number of taxi trips in our region has recovered more than fully.” .
In addition, he said that Kelowna is one of the largest technology centers in British Columbia, “and to be denied a service that is available practically anywhere else does not make sense to me. We have done the research and the transportation companies are identified in our draft Transportation Master Plan as part of a complete personal mobility system. “
The mayor said the city will follow up with the board and provincial ministries regarding this decision, “including noting data showing that Kelowna has bucked the provincial trend and has recovered taxi riders beyond the pre-pandemic levels, which appears to be that of the board. main argument. “
To view the board’s decision, visit the Passenger Transportation Board website.
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Reference-globalnews.ca