Just how many taxi drivers do we have in this province?
That has to be a question running through the heads of many British Columbians after the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board this week released its rules for ride haling companies in the province. The rules confirm the inordinate amount of clout the B.C. taxi industry wields with provincial governments of all political stripes.
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After years of watching the BC Liberal government twiddle their thumbs while the rest of the world got on board with Uber, Lyft and other ride hailing companies, the 2017 provincial election revealed B.C. New Democrats were equally beholden to the taxi industry.
The new rules state that ride hailing companies must adhere to the minimum B次元官网网址渇lag rateB次元官网网址� charged by taxi companies, meaning customers can forget about getting any discounts when theyB次元官网网址檙e trying to get home from a night at the bar. In fact, companies will be allowed to charge B次元官网网址渟urge pricingB次元官网网址� to increase rates during peak times.
This comes after it was announced that B.C. Uber drivers would need a Class 4 licence, unlike most of their counterparts around the world. A Class 4 licence carries a cost of $149.90 as well as a $22.45 fee to re-class your licence. Throw in the hours spent studying to pass your written exam and road test, and thatB次元官网网址檚 a lot of miles to be logged before a driver can even break even.
These restrictive conditions have put a roadblock in front of ride hailing companies operating outside the Lower Mainland. And itB次元官网网址檚 not like long waits for cabs are exclusive to Greater Vancouver. There have been many reports here in the Capital Region, as well as complaints of passengers being turned away because the fare wasnB次元官网网址檛 worth the cab driverB次元官网网址檚 time.
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But even these slanted conditions arenB次元官网网址檛 satisfactory to the taxi industry, who voiced objections to a single operating zone and an unlimited amount of operators for ride hailing companies.
And in case you were wondering. There are currently about 215 taxi licensees operating more than 3,500 taxis in B.C. Who says political strength doesnB次元官网网址檛 come in small numbers.
